


Gaze of the Blossom

by pangmida



Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Ancient China, Arranged Marriage, Fluff and Angst, I try to keep them in character, Imperial harem, Kinda, Lots of Angst, Multi, Politics, Slow Burn, War, artwork included, inspired by mission mode, might change characters' names into real names??, most info about characters are based on the wiki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2020-05-16 09:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19315771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pangmida/pseuds/pangmida
Summary: Fate led to an arranged marriage between a cold-blooded assassin, Ayano Aishi, and a lovelorn young master, Tarō Yamada. Worried that this would become a troublesome obstacle in her missions, Ayano reported the news to her master. Hearing this, a spine-chilling smirk slowly stretched across his face as he gave her the most difficult mission yet:"Kill Tarō Yamada."





	1. Character Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> (BASED ON MISSION MODE)
> 
> Haven't written a story in so long... so I'm back with another YanSim fanfic. I've had this idea for a long time, except I never found the time or courage to put it in words. Lots of grammar mistakes as always. This story will be taking place in a historical setting, but NOT Japan, more like China, mainly because I don't know much about historical Japan, so a historical Chinese-ish setting will be easier to write. Anyways, hope I don't disappear again because I actually really like this story idea...

* * *

 

**~Main characters~**

**Ayano Aishi:** Daughter of the Aishi family, a fairly wealthy family in the small Buraza Town. Secret identity is the wandering killer of the night, takes orders and is trained by a mysterious blind man who goes by "Info-kun." The real story begins after Ayano married into the wealthy and highly respected Yamada family to build an alliance. However, her mission is to kill her arranged husband, Tarō Yamada...  
  
**Tarō Yamada:** Son of the Yamada family. Has an arranged marriage with Ayano Aishi. Kind, tender-hearted, but much sharper than he appears... Perhaps a haraguroi?  
  
**Osano Najimi:** Tarō's childhood friend, the "pretty boy" of the neighborhood. Came from a family of well-known merchants. Insecure about his masculinity due to his pretty appearance. Guys often hit on him. Tsundere, not honest with his feelings.  
  
**Amao Odayaka:** Chef of a small but popular restaurant in the town. Very sweet and gentle, can be shy sometimes. Friends with Osano and Tarō. Has the warmest smile. However, he can go through a drastic change if pushed far enough...  
  
**Kizano Sunobu:** Actor, also the top and most respected member of the high-class brothel, Golden Lotus (he doesn't sleep with anyone; people pay very high prices just to see him dance and/or play an instrument). Incredibly beautiful, elegant, prideful, and somewhat cynical. Dislikes the "stuck-up royalties" (aka Megamo). Hides his pain with his charming, seductive smile.  
  
**Oko Ruto:** A wandering witch, head of an occult group. People hire him to perform witchcraft to drive away evil spirits that they believe are possessing someone or something. Very shy and pessimistic, believes heavily in demons and spirits as well as damnation. Would never curse anyone, no matter how evil they are.  
  
**Aso Rito:** A peasant farmer. Lives with his sickly mother, who he tries his best to support by selling his crops in town every day. Bright, open-minded, heroic, and optimistic. Stronger than many boys his age. His dream is to learn how to read and have a job in the cities to make enough money to provide his mother with sufficient care.  
  
**Mujo Kina:** Buraza Town's best medic, but very clumsy and air-headed, causing him to be pessimistic. Has an unbelievably beautiful appearance, which is why his drugstore is always crowded by people (both men and women) who just want to see him. Friends with Mido Rana and is often teased by him, to his frustration.  
  
**Mido Rana:** A wandering intellect and storyteller. Lazy, flirty, careless, and very intelligent. Travels to different towns to tell stories in restaurants. Can often be found in restaurants drinking wine or brothels enjoying the sight of beauties. Huge womanizer due to his sly and smooth personality and handsome face. Even older women cannot resist his charms.  
  
**Osorō Shidesu:** Head of a group of pastoral nomads named the Delinquents by the government. His followers are extremely loyal to him. He pushes for anarchy due to believing the monarchy is corrupted and cold-blooded. Dangerous and violent, very high fighting skills.  
  
**Hanakō Yamada:** Younger brother of Tarō. Seen as cute and adorable by other girls. Admires his older brother and is pessimistic due to his own sickly body. Hopes to grow up stronger and taller to protect the ones he loves. (personally, I hate how I drew him, might redraw him later...)  
  
**Megamo Saikou:**  The highest-ranked general of the army at a young age, son of the Emperor's prime minister. The most beautiful person in the world, according to Ayano. Cold, stern, and serious. Distrusts women and only hires men to work for him (the four student council members will not be his guardians as a result). Perfect in any way possible, causing jealousy from his younger brother.  
  
**???:** Called "Info-sama" by people in town, real name unknown. Ayano's "master". Paid by people to assassinate their nemesis or rivals. Takes joy in making money off humans' hatred and sees humans as pitiful, selfish, low-life beings. Extremely cynical and intelligent, as well as eccentric and cold-blooded. Convinced Ayano to accept the Yamada family's proposal, in return, she will have to kill Tarō Yamada...

* * *

 

**~Side characters~**

**Midori Gurin:** one of Ayano's personal servant girls. Polar opposite of Kuu. Happy, optimistic, clumsy, clingy, and air-headed.  
  
**Kumiko Deremoto (Kuu Dere):** one of Ayano's personal servant girls. Polar opposite of Midori. Cold, emotionless, smart, introverted, and level-headed.

 **Uekiya Engeika:** Taro Yamada's love interest (and is aware). Married to Geiju Tsuka. Kind, loving, and motherly, she has a great interest in gardening and nature.


	2. Broken Cocoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit long, but I had to, you know, just to get all the setting out of the way...

* * *

 

The sound of a sharp blade dragged across skin echoed in the room, followed by a loud thud against the wooden floor.  
  
Blood spread like petals of a blooming flower, seeping through cracks in the wood. The eyelids of the body did not have the time to fall and cover the eyes that witnessed the horror. Red vessels appeared through the whites of the eyes, under the irises that traveled upwards after the blade came in contact with the neck.  
  
The dead was merely a girl at the age of sixteen. Her soft pink robe, ripped by a heartless blade from the right of the waist to the left side of the collar, became tainted with her own crimson. Her hair of dusty gold sprawled out, some strands sticking to her bloodied face.  
  
Standing next to the body was the murderer herself. She slowly raised her left hand and wiped the girl's blood from the corner of her mouth. Her hollow, soulless eyes, darker than the onyx sky, reflected only emptiness.  
  
The young girl's thin, diligent body, coated in all black, blended her in the ominous night. Her locks of ebony hair, tied up into a ponytail, swayed along with the movement of her head. Her slender fingers touched the blade of her dagger, smearing the blood, covering up her own reflection on the blade.  
  
_'Mission complete.'_  
  
Without another word, she turned around and stealthily jumped out of the opened window, muting any noise and left no evidence of a second person's presence in the room beside the fatal sword wound on the dead body.     

 

 

Nightly darkness shielded the grotesque horror from the eyes of heaven.

 

* * *

 

Drums roared across the court. Royal subjects lined themselves up in two straight lines. On the sides stood the imperial guards, their armor shining under the newly-risen sun. The spears in their hands rose from the ground, pointing at the sky.   

 

 

Eyes from below watched the Emperor as he walked to his throne. His bronze robe and golden coat flowed in the direction of the wind as his golden headdress sat on his head, tall and proud.

The man that wore such luxury, however, lacked the elegance and authority a leader should have. With wrinkles from age, eyebags from stress, a hunched back from improper sitting positions, and a large belly from unhealthy alcohol consumption, Kocho Shuyona resembled nothing of nobility without his title.

Following him was the prime minister, who outshined him in appearance, energy, and charisma. His silver hair matched his slim, icy-cold eyes and his long eyelashes. Though only a few years younger than the Emperor, he had no wrinkles or eye bags. His back kept straight the entire time, and his hands held together behind his back, covered by his long sleeves.

His outfit caught people's eyes. On the purple robe made of the finest silk, diligently-sewn golden dragons freely roamed across.

Some subjects standing in the back whispered to one another. Dragons... How can the Emperor allow a mere prime minister to have dragons on his outfit?

Kocho could only ignore the discussions about him. Slowly, he sat on the throne. He lifted his head from the ground and gazed at the court that stretched miles long. Little to no clouds filled the early morning sky. His eyes squinted slightly when the sun shined towards him.

Despite his disordered image, the court subjects all kowtowed as a respect to the country's leader.

"Long live the Emperor," all of the voices greeted in unison, making Kocho jump a little.

A few drops of sweat rolled down his cheeks as his hands grew cold. He gripped tightly onto the arms of the throne to calm down his shivering body.

"Y-you..." his heart rate increased when he heard his voice crack. He quickly cleared his throat and wanted to try again, "You-"

"You may stand."

His subjects all stood back up.

Kocho snapped his head towards the prime minister, who ignored his stare. He looked back at his subjects, who didn't seem to care if it's the prime minister instead of the Emperor that allowed them to stand.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Saikou-sama..."

"Yes, Your Majesty?" the prime minister replied, his eyes still glued to the front.

"..." Kocho gritted his teeth, "Nothing..."

"Let me know if you need anything, Your Majesty." Through the seemingly indifferent voice, Kocho could still hear the deafening mockery.

A subject from below stepped out of the line on the left and bowed to the Emperor with his hands held together in front of his head.

"Your Majesty, the Delinquents have defeated our defense in the north. Around three hundred died and five hundred injured. We ask for Your Majesty's approval to send an army of twenty hundred to fight them off."

Kocho's eyebrows furrowed, "Only a bunch of barbarians, and you still cannot deal with them?"

"Your Majesty..." the subject hesitated, "...the men are hungry and exhausted, they have already fought for three days straight. We have requested for reinforcement, but were all rejected..."

Kocho slammed his fist against the arm of the throne, "Are you saying it was all my fault?!"

The subject jumped, frightened by his wrath, and quickly dropped to his knees. "N-no, Your Majesty, I would never-!"

"Calm down, you were only following His Majesty's orders," the prime minister interrupted, his voice still as indifferent as ever, "You should not be blamed. Right, Your Majesty?"

Anyone in the courtroom could hear him openly blaming the Emperor without saying it, including Kocho himself.

"Worry not, 'tis only a couple of nomads. I will send out my son to lead an army of five thousand and win back the south."

Immediately, subjects gasped and began to whisper to one another until the first subject spoke again.

"Five thousand? Saikou-sama, currently the Delinquents are targeting us to rescue Osorō Shidesu, they can launch an attack to the kingdom anytime soon. We need as many people to guard the capital, do you not understand? Sending away five thousand men will lower our central defense!"

"Your Majesty, our defense is in danger, and losing the territory in the north will only provide more danger to the capital and to you. Our men fought long and hard, running on a limited supply of food and rest. An army of five thousand will not only save the territory but also give you less threat. What do you say, Your Majesty?"

Kocho's knuckles turned white as his grip on the arm of the throne tightened. What a clever fox, Kocho thought, painting him as a selfish coward who cared not about the men at war. This prime minister has already become the driver of the court. He had everything under control, and the subjects all listen to him instead of the Emperor now.

Treason. He is for sure trying to commit treason!

"Yes...Saikou-sama has a point..." Kocho said, "But with battles happening in other places as well, who can lead the reinforcement to aid the north side?"

"My eldest son, Megamo, is capable."

Cold sweat covered the side of Kocho's face. Megamo Saikou, only the age of eighteen, had taken the title of Grand General of the Army. If with his help, the north wins against the nomads, the Saikou family's power will continue to grow. It would only be a matter of time before they usurp the throne.

_'I can't have this...'_

"Megamo-kun certainly is skilled," Kocho purposely spoke louder, "but a mere child like him does not understand the type of situation warriors are in when facing real enemies

Whispers rose back again.

"Yeah, even if Megamo-sama is the most skilled fighter in the palace, how would he stand a chance against those bloodthirsty barbarians with only five thousand men?"

"Right? What is the prime minister thinking?"

"There's no way!"

"Yeah..."

Saikou calmly raised a hand, silencing the entire courtroom.

"I am fully aware of the small number of men that I have requested, and thus I can only be confident in our victory," he stated. "If my son fails to push the barbarians out of our northern defense, I will gladly offer my head."

His bold declaration brought shock among everyone.

"Your Majesty..." without turning around, the silver-haired beauty's voice lowered and said, "does this seem fair to you?"

Kocho could feel his legs quiver despite the increasingly hot sun.

"...then let us follow Prime Minister Saikou's plan..."

 

* * *

 

Hanakō flinched when the teacup shattered on the floor.

"What...did you say?" Tarō Yamada's voice trembled, his eyes as large as saucers.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Hanakō looked at the ground and repeated, "...Uekiya-chan...is engaged to Geiju Tsuka..."

Tarō's hands went cold as his entire body shivered. He felt his legs grow weak, but he forced them to walk forward. Soon, he picked up his speed and ran out of the house as fast as possible.

Hanakō watched the back of his brother disappear into the distance and sighed. He shook his head helplessly and glanced at the shattered teacup.

"I knew it..." he muttered to himself. Then he called over a servant and told her to clean the mess up.

Twigs cracked under Tarō's heavy footsteps as he raced against time running to see the girl that took up all of his mind and heart. Her smile, soft and sweet as a pear blossom, suddenly seemed so cold and far away. 

His heart pounded against his chest as if begging to come out. He only wanted to see her, just one time, and ask her if she is really leaving him. If she denies, he will hold her tightly in his arms and never let go again.

 

 

If she doesn't...if she doesn't, what will he do? What  _can_ he do?

Bit by bit, his breathing becomes heavier, but he didn't slow down. He wouldn't allow himself to slow down.

Soon, he passed through the colorful garden that she planted with her own hands. She always loved flowers. She would always hum melodies while watering them, and every time a flower fully blooms, she would be so excited that she'd dance and spin around the garden while holding the flowerpot. Even when stitching embroideries, she would always design the most beautiful flowers that attract butterflies.

Her flowers are like her children. Tarō wondered if they would still bloom if she left.

"Engeika-san!" he shouted out her name when he saw her back.

She turned around slowly, her large caramel eyes glimmering with life and curiosity. Her dark brown hair rested on her shoulders, and a long strand curved around her left eye. A ring of small pink flowers aligned the top of her head with a larger peach-colored flower in the front.

Her pink robe gleamed like the blushes of a young maiden in love, like the cherry blossom petals that float in the spring air, with each flower pattern on the clothing carefully embroidered that let her become the daughter of spring.

Tarō felt his breath caught in his throat every time he saw her.

"Tarō-kun...?" Uekiya Engeika carefully called his name.

Tarō tried to catch his breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm. Uekiya looked at him with concern but didn't move closer.

"E-Engeika-san..." he uttered, "...is it true?"

She tilted her head.

"...is it true? Are you...marrying Geiju Tsuka?"

Her cherry lips parted, but no words came out. She pressed her lips together and turned her head away, closing her eyes.

Tarō felt his heart stop.

"Is it true?" he asked louder, desperately trying to grab onto any hope he had.

_It's not true, right? You wouldn't leave me like that, right? Geiju Tsuka is known to be cold and distant... You wouldn't be happy with him. You wouldn't feel any love if you were to be with him._

"...yes," she finally answered. Shy blushes tinted her soft cheeks.

As if lightning struck him, Tarō felt his head spin and his mind blank.

"...ha...is that so?" Tarō forced out a chuckle, "That's...unexpected. I've never...never heard you speak of him."

Uekiya smiled while staring off into the distance, thinking about the tall man with fiery red hair, "I rarely get to meet him. When I do, he is always alone in his house painting. I bring flowers to his yard as an excuse to see him. He is quiet, focused, and very...charming..."

She sighed to herself dreamily.

It felt humiliating to see the girl he loved so much talk about another man, but seeing how happy she seemed just from mentioning him, he didn't want to shatter her dreams.

"But...I heard that he is a man of very few words. Would you...be content with such a cold and distant man?"

Uekiya shook her head, "I know he is not like that, I can just feel it. He's just...misunderstood. He wants someone who will understand art as he does, someone who views the world the same way he does. And I can be that someone."

The last bit of hope vanished for Tarō. If she is so willing to be with someone else...if that man would make her the happiest girl in the world, then...

Then who would make him happy? Who is left to understand him?

"I have to go now. I must get ready for the wedding. Goodbye," Uekiya waved and turned around to leave.

"Uekiya!"

Tarō's hand shot up to grab her arm without thinking, shocking himself.

Uekiya halted her steps and looked back. Tarō's eyes were like an innocent deer, lost in the forest, not knowing where to go, what to do.

The truth is, she knew how he felt. She knew from the beginning about his feelings for her. He did try to hide them, to her, his eyes were too pretty. All of his thoughts pour out from those night-like orbs.

She lowered her eyelids, a flash of regret and pity bled from her eyes for an instant before she covered them up. Slowly, her free hand goes up and touches the larger hand on her arm. It felt cold.

"...I'm sorry...Tarō..."

With that, she gently pushed his hand off of her, and she left him behind without a second thought.

After Uekiya Engeika disappeared from his sight, Tarō raised his hand and placed his palm on one side of his face. He lowered his head, letting his bangs cover his eyes and emotions. A self-mocking smile cracked.

"...please...be happy..." he muttered, but she was too far to hear him.

That was the first time he ever called her by her first name. And perhaps the last.

 

* * *

 

Delicate zither melody as gentle as breeze flowed through the house of the Aishi's. With each pluck, a note began to sing for itself, as if each telling a story.  

 

 

A pair of slim, fair-skinned hands moved diligently across the zither, each finger dancing upon the thirteen strings. The girl played the song with her eyes closed, trying to enjoy music that played under her own hands.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open when she felt a soft cherry blossom petal brush against her nose. The petal then landed on the strings of her koto. She lifted her head up and saw more petals falling from the trees surrounding her in the yard.

Suddenly, she felt so isolated from the spring beauty around her. This purity was something she could never touch and will never belong to.

"Ayano-chan?" a sweet, gentle voice called from inside.

Ayano turned her head around and saw her mother standing by the sliding door. She wore her favorite purple robe, and a white ribbon wrapped around her long, ebony hair like a python.

"Come inside, Sweetie, your father and I have to tell you something," she said with a heart-warming smile.

"Yes, Mother," Ayano obeyed. She stood up, brushed off the remaining flower petals from her clothes, and followed her mother inside.

 

* * *

 

"Here it is, Young Master," said the shopkeeper as he placed a huge wooden tray of shimmering accessories on the counter.

Customers in the jewelry store turned to admire the beautiful luxury presented by the manager, each trying to search for the most ostentatious accessory.

Buraza Town may be small, but it was built close to the royal palace. Residents include large families of the higher class or government officials that have a connection with the palace who chose to live closer for convenience.

However, the copious amount of wealthy families intensified social hierarchy and business competition. Girls dressed in the newest fashion style and wore the most expensive jewelry to compete for the richest husbands to build business alliances for their families.

Carefully, Osano Najimi picked up each accessory to examine for any faults. He furrowed his eyebrows and lowered his head as he concentrated, his gorgeous tangerine hair tied up in a ponytail swaying with his movements.

After he finished checking the last pair of earrings, Osano gently placed it back on the tray and said, "This new stock is great. Thank you, Haruka-san."

Manager Haruka chuckled and shook his head, "No need to be so polite with me, Young Master, we've been doing business with the Najimi's for years, we're practically a family now."

Osano nodded, "Thank you for always taking care of us."

"You flatter me so much, Young Master."

The shopkeeper helped pack up the jewelry for Osano. In the corner of his eye, Osano saw a faint trace of purple, and he turned his head towards it.

A girl around his age stood behind the doorway of a bedroom in the back of the store with only her head peaked out. She had naturally curly hair in a bright shade of purple tied in high pigtails, complementing her cutesy look.

When she saw Osano's face, her eyes brightened up, and her cheeks tinted pink. She excitedly ran towards him and stopped just before they could clash.

"Kokona!" the shopkeeper frowned, "A girl shouldn't show herself in a place with so many men!"

"It's fine, Father! You're here, aren't you?" she said.

Manager Haruka shook his head and smiled helplessly.

Kokona bowed towards Osano. "Good morning, Najimi-sama!"

"Morning..." Osano bowed slightly, a bit taken aback at how eager she was.

The young maiden then stood on her toes and peeked over Osano's shoulder, her violet irises dashing from side to side, looking for a certain someone.

_'Is she a puppy?'_ Osano thought to himself. He sighed and said, "Yamada didn't come today."

"Oh..." her smile faded. "That's...that's fine. Is he doing okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine, pretty sure."

"That's great," she smiled again.

Manager Haruka raised an eyebrow at his daughter's behavior and coughed in his fist. When she looked at him, he scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"What a shame, if you two were to marry, it would've benefited this partnership so much..."

"F-Father...!" Kokona frowned.

"Don't worry, my dear, I won't force you to marry someone you don't like," her father patted her shoulder.

Feeling a bit awkward from Kokona's presence and the shopkeeper's teasing, Osano cleared his throat and picked up the package, "I'll, uh, take my leave now."

"Alright, Young Master, hope to see you again soon," Manager Haruka waved goodbye.

Kokona bit her bottom lip, her cheeks reddened again. When Osano turned away and began to step out, she quickly called out, "N-Najimi-sama...!"

He halted his steps but didn't turn around.

"Um...when...w-when are you coming back next time?" Kokona shyly lowered her head and pulled on her sleeves.

"Probably next week."

"Then...w-will Yamada-sama...come as well?"

"Who knows?" Osano replied with an unconcerned tone and left the shop without waiting for Kokona's response.

Manager Haruka only sighed and shook his head helplessly. "It's okay, Kokona, you're a beautiful girl, you'll marry into a good family. It doesn't have to be that boy."

Kokona's smile slowly drooped and faded. Her grip on her sleeves slowly loosened up as she hid a melancholic expression from her father.

"Marriage..." she said under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I-I mean, I hope I'll find someone just as good!"

"You will, Sweetie, now go back inside. Next time, wear something more proper than that before coming out."

"But it's hot..."

"Go back inside, Honey."

Outside, Osano met up with his personal servant, who immediately ran up to him and said, "Osano-sama, why are you so fast today?"

Osano's eyebrow twitched, "What do you mean, 'today'? Are you saying I'm slow any other day?"

"N-no, no, of course not..."

Very impolitely, Osano threw the package of jewelry at the servant, who let out a shocked screech and barely caught it. He shook his head and began walking away. The servant saw him leaving him behind and quickly followed up, his skinny arms struggling to carry the package.

"O-Osano-sama, p-please wait up!"

 

* * *

 

The sun rose to its peak. Busy farmers and merchants filled the streets of Buraza Town. There were food stands with steam coming from the newly-cooked skewers and soup, tents blocking the sun from freshly-harvested fruits and crops, and cheaply-made toys and clothes all organized in sections.

A young peasant carrying a shoulder pole with a heavy basket of crops hanging on each end tied with a thick rope headed towards an empty spot between two tents. He then set the heavy load down and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Morning, Aso," a man wearing a sleeveless shirt and grey, baggy pants next to him greeted. His stand had a wide variety of fruits.

"Mornin', Hagiwara-san." Aso flashed him a cheerful smile. He pulled out a ragged carpet from one of the baskets and laid it on the ground, then he placed the crops on top and grouped them by types.

"How's your mother?" Hagiwara asked, waving his hands to drive away a fly from his fruits.

Aso sighed and sat down, "Not that well... Don't have enough money for medicine, y'know? Only a matter of time before she..."

"..." Hagiwara looked at him pitifully.

Many years ago, Aso's father died of lung disease, and ever since then, his mother's body has become weaker and weaker. Aso as a child took up the responsibility of an adult and farmed and sold crops to make enough money to support the family. Hagiwara had thought about lending some money, but he had a sickly daughter to take care of, so all he could do is watch helplessly.

This was the condition the country was in. The Emperor, useless as he was, only cared about his own family. Even with the nomads outside currently stirring up chaos, killing, and robbing, he refused to send out armies to fight back.

"But it's fine," Aso chuckled, "Living seems more painful anyway. I just hope that she'll reincarnate into a better life."

"You're a good child, I'm sure the gods are watching," Hagiwara said.

"Hope so," Aso flashed him another smile. "How's Sakura-chan?"

Hagiwara shook his head, "Her heart's only gettin' worse an' worse, but we ain't got the money to fix that. All she wanna do is stay in the garden an' take care of the flowers. 'Tis a miracle if she could make it past thirty."

"Aye... I'm sorry 'bout that, sir..."

"No worries. As you said, this world's just a pile o' trash now. 'Tis not even lucky to be alive. Hopefully, she'll find peace, away from this damn mess."

"I'm sure she will, sir."

They sat in silence for a while, watching the citizens come and go. Aso's eyes were caught by a man carrying a stack of poster. He approached the public bulletin board and plastered a sheet on, then left. The poster had characters written with a brush, advertising a newly-opened restaurant, and is asking for more employees.

Aso stared at the poster, trying to guess what was written on it. Hagiwara noticed his struggle and chuckled.

"Have you ever thought of learning how to read?" he asked.

"Of course I have. But...who's gonna teach me? It's not like the teachers will teach just any person, not to say a peasant," Aso scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

If he could read, then he can make lots of money, and his mother will be saved...

Suddenly, a loud bawling of a woman caught their attention. They turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. There was a large crowd surrounding the county magistrate's office.

"Please...please, Your Excellency, you have to help me! My daughter...my daughter was only sixteen, Your Excellency, she can't just die like this!"

The crowd surrounding the woman kneeling in front of the county magistrate's office whispered to one another, each pitying her fate or fearing for his or her own. They all watched the woman cry helplessly for justice.

The woman kowtowed again, bruises appearing on her forehead, "Your Excellency, please...my husband left the world just last year, I can't lose my daughter like this, Your Excellency... How will I explain to her father? How will I explain to myself? Please, please...Your Excellency!" Her voice was straining, yet she still cried as loud as she could.

Finally, the door opened, and a man with a goatee walked out. Sweat on his half-bald head rolled down his cheeks. The small bun in the back of his head had a few strands messily poking out.

"Look, Miss, it's not that we don't want to help you. The killer has been roaming around at night for a long time, and not once have they left any evidence about their identity. We've been trying to capture them since the beginning, but it is almost impossible to identify even their silhouette," he tried to explain calmly, but his annoyance is written on his face.

"Sir, please, I beg of you, my daughter was my only reason to keep living... Please bring justice to her, please!" the poor woman continued to cry.

More and more audience gathered to watch the scene. The woman's face was red from endless crying and sweating from the hot afternoon sun. Her shimada mage bun was falling apart, and many strands of hair stood out or stuck to her sweaty face and forehead. The knee part of her cheap robe was slightly ripped from scraping against the rough ground.

"Your daughter's not the only one who died under their hands!" the man raised his voice, "Do you think we don't want to solve the crime? We're not God, we can't immediately predict who the killer is!"

Aso furrowed his eyebrows and turned to Hagiwara, "What's all the commotion about?"

Hagiwara sighed deeply, "You were here late, so you don't know. She's been here since the sun just came up."

"What happened?"

"Another victim was killed last night..." Hagiwara shook his head, "She's the victim's mother. She came here to beg for justice."

"Another one?" Aso furrowed his eyebrows, "Good lord, this town is becoming cursed."

"Yeah...and it's not safe to even move out," Hagiwara crossed his arms and glanced back at the woman kneeling on the ground, "not while there's a war with those barbarians out there."

"Please move along, Ma'am. The magistrate is busy with other cases. Don't waste his time."

"B-but...Sir, please, just let me speak to His Excellency! My daughter...my daughter, she-"

"That's enough! Your daughter is no more special than the other victims! Move along, or I will have to arrest you for public disturbance! Guards, send this lady away." With that, he turned around, swung his sleeves, and closed the door behind him.

"No...no, you can't do this, Your Excellency! Please help me, please, Your Excellency! Please!!" the woman screamed her heart out while the guards dragged her away from the magistrate's office. Her comb lost its grip on her hair and fell onto the ground.

"Let's go..." an old man in the audience crowd said, and the crowd finally disbanded.

"How cruel..." Aso said while watching the woman with pity, "They didn't even act like they wanted to help."

Hagiwara sighed again, "What else can they possibly do? It's not like the killer will automatically show himself if they agreed to help her. I think it's better than giving her false hope."

"At least let 'er calm down rather than leavin' 'er in all sad and stuff..."

"The world is full sadness, Aso," Hagiwara closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the sky, "she ain't the only one who's feelin' it."

A carriage passed by, crushing the abandoned comb into pieces with its wheels.

Aso pressed his lips into a thin line while watching the carriage leave and sighed.

 

* * *

 

 

"Marriage...?"    

 

 

Ayano repeated her mother's news, her eyes slightly wider than usual.

Her father nodded, "Yes, you will be marrying the older son of the Yamada family."

"..." Ayano pressed her lips into a thin line. Not that she doesn't want to marry, but it would be a huge...inconvenience for her if she were to marry into another household.

Plus, a girl like her does not have much of a choice either. Her purpose in life is to marry the son of a rich and powerful family to build an alliance.

"Father, I don't want to marry, yet," Ayano said.

Furrowing his eyebrows, her father replied, "It's not about what you want, Ayano. It's for the family."

Ryoba wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and rested her chin on his head. "Darling, don't you think that's too harsh? Ayano has never met the boy, yet. What if she doesn't love him?"

Sighing, her husband said, "Ryoba...it's not about love. How many couples out there really marry for love?"

"We are in love, darling!" Ryoba beamed and hugged him harder.

"...y-yes...now please release me, Ryoba."

"Oops, sorry, my love!"

"...anyways..." Ayano's father regained his posture and coughed into his fist, "Ayano, this is for the sake of our family. The Yamada's are wealthy, they can provide you with a good home. You have nothing to lose."

Ayano's eyes dimmed, "I'll lose freedom."

Her father opened his mouth to say something but couldn't. This expression...how long has it been since he last saw it on his daughter's face?

Ryoba's heart ached from seeing her daughter being forced into a loveless marriage. She walked around the table to Ayano's side and knelt down.

"My dear," her gentle voice caressed and soothed Ayano's ears, "perhaps the boy is the one for you? Maybe he is your soulmate, and maybe he will be the one to fulfill you."

Ayano turned her head to look at her. Ryoba responded with a warm smile.

"Remember, Yan-chan, Mother was just like you."

Ayano pursed her lips, "But...what if he isn't?"

Chuckling, Ryoba reached out and tucked a few strands of Ayano's hair behind her ear. "You must be patient. Love will not be the same for all of us. Sometimes they hit instantly. Sometimes they gradually infest you. It's not always clear which one are you."

"...yes, Mother."

Ayano's father forced out a relieved look, yet worry still swarms in his expression. Especially when his eyes landed on his wife.

 

* * *

 

 

 

"Master," Ayano addressed and dropped to one knee as a greeting.

Before her was the back of a man not much older than her, with hair like blood and aura that allowed no one to come close.

"You're here..." he said, his low and calm voice chilling to the spine. "I can sense your...troubled mind. What seems to be disturbing you, my dear?"

Ayano took a deep breath and cleared her throat, "Master, Ayano indeed has some trouble." When her master didn't reply, she continued, "There is an obstacle that may slightly be a burden to me completing a mission."

"Oh?" the red-haired man placed a china teacup next to himself, "And what is that obstacle?"

"..."

The sound of water dripping from the roof of the dark room to the cold, stone floor filled the brief silence.

"Ayano...is getting married."

More dripping noises echoed the quiet room.

Her master finally turned around to face her. Although his blind eyes were covered by bandages wrapped around his head, Ayano could still feel his shrill glare at her.

He slowly stood up and walked towards her, each step making Ayano's heart beat faster. He halted when he was close enough to her and knelt down until their eyes are at level, though Ayano wondered how he knew they were.

She felt her chin lifted by her master's cold finger, and a drop of sweat rolled down her face.

"Married...?" her master repeated.

"Yes, Master..."

"To whom?"

"First son of the Yamada family, Master."

"First son of the Yamada family..." the blind man repeated again, "Is that so?"

"Yes, Master."

"..."

To Ayano's surprise, her master started to chuckle, which eventually developed into a burst of unrestrained, maniacal laughter. He stood up and turned around with his hands behind his back.

"Tarō Yamada, huh? How interesting, how entertaining."

Ayano looked at her master's back with confusion.

"Very well," he said to himself and faced Ayano again.

"Master," Ayano quickly said, "Ayano's loyalty lies with you only. Ayano will decline the marriage immediately-"

"No," he interrupted. "Don't decline. In fact..." a grin plastered his pale face, "accept it. Marry into the wealthy Yamada household."

The charcoal-haired girl widened her eyes, "What?"

"Here's my mission for you—I want you to agree to marry Tarō Yamada, and then..." her master paused, and the corners of his mouth stretched into a spine-chilling, sinister smirk.

"Kill him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to limit detailed descriptions just so it won't be boring. The setting and characters are quite complex, so do ask questions if there's something you don't understand!


	3. Nuptial Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nuptial night is the most important night of any girl's life. However, Ayano's wasn't exactly the most ideal...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: this story is set in a place similar to ancient China, so a lot of the cultural aspects might be unfamiliar to many of you. I suggest searching up images to get a better picture because I really hate writing detailed descriptions...

* * *

 

In the dark and quiet dungeon, behind the metal bars of the biggest cell reserved for the most dangerous criminals, a man knelt on the ground with his head down and blond hair covering his face. His arms were stretched out with chains connecting to the walls. His ankles were also cuffed and chained to the ground.  
  
Scars from whipping and burning covered his bloodied body. Dried blood stained his ripped prisoner robe. His body was soaking wet from the previous water jail torture session.  
  
Chains rattled softly as the captured man slowly lifted his bloodied head to see his visitor.  
  
"Sir, please be careful," the guard warned, "we will be watching out for you at the entrance."  
  
"Worry not, I will be fine."  
  
Footsteps echoed as the guard returned to the entrance.  
  
The prisoner squinted his eyes, his head still spinning from drowning in dirty water earlier.  
  
A beauty with elegant silver hair and eyes stood before him with confidence in his stature. His silky robe and thick fur cape demonstrated his wealth, and his cold and stern demeanor reflected his nobility.  
  
A menacing smirk cracked on the prisoner's face.  
  
"What brings you here, Megamo Saikou-sama?" he queried with a dry and rough voice caused by days of no food and drink.  
  
Through his long and messy blond hair, he could see the young general narrow his eyes. How can someone be so beautiful and ugly at the same time?  
  
"Your followers are quite loyal, I must say..." Megamo said with an icy, low voice, "Osorō Shidesu."  
  
"Heh..." Osorō scoffed, "they will come and take me away. And we'll bring freedom to everyone."  
  
"Give up your childish dreams, Shidesu. You will only bring chaos among this great empire."  
  
Osorō suddenly stood up and approached Megamo the closest as the chains would allow him. Megamo only stared at him without flinching a bit.  
  
"The 'empire' yer tryna build will tumble, Megamo! Face it, my people will bring anarchy to this country! We will return the abuse you slaves of the palace gave us before!" Osorō's menacing glare intensified as his bloodthirsty grin widened.  
  
Without hesitation, Megamo delivered a kick to Osorō's stomach, sending him to the wall on the opposite side. Osorō coughed from the pressure and spat out a mouthful of blood.  
  
"Your loyal 'people' will try to rescue you," Megamo said, "and I shall bring all of their heads to you."  
  
With that, he turned around and began walking out of the cell.  
  
Behind him, Osorō let out a chuckle. The chuckle grew louder and louder until it became a hysterical laugh that filled the entire dungeon. The two guards at the entrance peeked inside just in case Megamo needed protection.  
  
"You really think yer so high an' mighty 'cause yer loyal to the Emperor?!" Osorō exclaimed, his eyes wide like saucers and veins popping on his forehead, "Drop the act, Megamo Saikou! You and yer daddy are just low-life hypocrites!!"  
  
Megamo halted his steps but did not turn around.  
  
"The whole nation is aware of your prime minister of a daddy is trying to take over the throne, Megamo! Face it, ya know it, too!" Osorō continued, each of his words spiteful and poisonous to the eldest son of the Saikou family.  
  
Megamo's hands slowly curled up into a tight fist.  
  
"You're all nothing but traitors! History will record all of your moves, and your perfect, clean names will be tainted by the label of a traitor! You know nothing of loyalty, and you know nothing of love for yer people! Ya just some power-hungry beasts!!"  
  
Suddenly, Megamo ran towards Osorō and kicked him on the side of his head. Osorō dropped to his side as his chains clanked. Megamo then stomped on his head once it touched the ground and applied pressure, threatening to crack his skull.  
  
"A blood-thirsty barbarian like you has no right calling others a beast," Megamo said, his voice colder and lower than before. "You better watch your place, Shidesu. It will do you no good if you continue to speak like that."  
  
"Heh..." Osorō endured the pain of his skull being pushed into the ground, "Then kill me, you coward. My people will avenge me and take down the country."  
  
Megamo lifted his foot from Osorō's head and stared at him condescendingly, "Killing you will only dirty my hands."  
  
Without another word, the silver-haired general walked out of the cell. The guard from earlier quickly came to lock the cell door and escort Megamo out.  
  
"You're scared, aren't ya, Saikou-sama?!" Osorō shouted from behind as Megamo and the guard walked towards the exit.  
  
The guard furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Megamo, "Sir-"  
  
Megamo did not say a word and kept his eyes straightforward.  
  
"You're just afraid to admit it! The day your father usurps the throne is the day this country will fall to pieces! The corruption of the Saikou family will be known to everyone, and it'll go down in history!" Following that was Osorō's maniacal laughter that rang in Megamo's ears as he finally exited the dungeon. 

 

* * *

 

News of the marriage alliance between the Aishi's and the Yamada's quickly reached across the small town. Friends of the Yamada's quickly came forth to congratulate them, sending them expensive gifts and kind notes.

Tarō looked around the Yamada residence, seeing red ribbons hanged all over the walls and pillars, and servants carrying presents to different rooms. Even with such a festive aura around him, he couldn't feel a bit of happiness.

Soon enough, he will have to lift up the red veil on the bride, revealing a face he had never seen before. Not Uekiya Engeika. Not the love of his life. 

"Congrats, Tarō!" 

Hearing his name being called by a familiar voice, Tarō turned around.

His loudmouth of a childhood friend waved as he approached him. Osano patted Tarō's back not-so-lightly, making him stumble forward a bit.

"Can't believe you're finally getting married. And you didn't even tell me!"

"I am fairly new to the news, too."

"I ditched a trading meeting I was supposed to attend with my father just to come and see my best friend finally embracing a woman."

"Oh? You care that much for me?"

"...d-don't get too cocky!" Osano's face reddened in embarrassment.

Tarō forced a chuckle, "Thank you, Osano."

Osano cocked an eyebrow. That was not a genuine smile, and growing up together with him since toddlers, Osano could read him too well.

"You don't seem happy... Something wrong?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

Tarō sighed, "Everything... Everything about this is wrong."

"Oh..." Osano scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "...you're still not over her?"

"..." the raven-haired boy did not say anything.

Now it was Osano's turn to sigh, "You really loved her that much? I, uh...I always thought it was just a small crush..."

Tarō grinned self-mockingly, "That would have been better, but a small crush shouldn't bring this much heartache... Seeing her marrying off to another man, it made me feel bitter... I simply couldn't bring myself to truly feel happy for her. My selfish side really wanted her for myself, but..."

Osano couldn't think of anything to say, so he just patted his back, this time much more gentle.

"...am I a horrible person?" Tarō asked.

The orange-haired boy shook his head without hesitation, "You're not, Tarō. It's not your fault for having desires. Engeika-san was just...not on the same page as you. It's better to forget about her and think about your soon-to-be wife."

"I really can't bring myself to marry someone I have never even met while another woman is still in my heart..."

"Time will wipe her away, Tarō. You got to learn to love a different person. You'll be living together for the rest of your lives."

"...I'll try. Thank you, Osano," Tarō forced a smile.

Osano's face reddened again, "Y-yeah...whatever."

"There you are, Big Brother!"

Osano and Tarō turned around and saw Tarō's younger brother.

"Hanakō...? What's the matter?"

Hanakō angrily puffed his cheeks and quickly grabbed his brother's wrist, "There are guests in the lobby here to congratulate you, Big Brother! You were supposed to be greeting them!"

Osano chuckled as he watched Hanakō drag his friend away. When they were out of sight, he sighed to himself.

That was another fake smile.

 

* * *

 

Sooner than expected, the day of the wedding arrived.

Sitting in front of her mirror, Ayano stared at her own reflection blankly as one of her personal maids combed her hair gently while the other one bounced around with excitement.

"Our mistress is finally getting married!" the joyful one, Midori, exclaimed, "This is all happening so fast!"

"Which hairpin would you like to use today, Mistress?" Kuu, the calmer one that's combing Ayano's hair, asked.

Ayano's eyes scanned over her wooden box of hairpins. Each of them has different patterns and flowers on them, each showing a different kind of beauty.

"Just my usual one," she answered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ehh?" Midori pouted and ran to her mistress, "Why? Don't you want to look extra pretty today? You're about to become the wife of the first son of the Yamada's! The son of one of the Emperor's advisor! You'll be connected to the royal palace! You should show everyone your change!"

Ayano shook her head. "Rather than a wife, I would say commodity. I am but a trade for more power. Much unlike my mother."

The truth is, Ryoba's maiden name is Aishi, while her father was the one marrying over to the Aishi's due to his family having much less wealth and power. For this, he struggled with outsiders' point of view of him, often looking down on him for his lower status than his wife. However, Ryoba never loved him less and devoted herself to him.

What a magical story, Ayano thought. To be able to fall in love, to be able to feel happiness...and not be empty.

Kuu adjusted Ayano's favorite hairpin that has a false Tsubaki flower until it would hold its place.

"Tsubaki," Kuu said softly, "that's the flower that Mistress wore when Kumiko first met you."

That was a decade ago. She was homeless, hungry, and dirty, wandering around the streets after losing her family and home to war. She refused to speak to anyone that came up to her, and others turned away from her after seeing how disgusting she looked.

Not even shady older men wanted to kidnap her and sell her due to her emotionless and apathetic nature, thinking she was not cute at all.

Then one day, she met a girl about the same age as herself, but unlike her, she was dressed up nicely and smelled like flowers. That girl lived in a different world from her, yet she felt so connected to her. Perhaps she could see the hollowness in her eyes, or maybe she could feel something about her feels broken, but Kuu accepted her presence.

She wore a Tsubaki hairpin, and that was what Kuu noticed first. The symbol of upcoming spring. And Ayano was perhaps her upcoming spring.

_"Come with me. I'll take you home."_

Home...sounds nice, she thought.

Those words made Kuu swear that she will protect her mistress forever.

Ayano raised a hand and touched the hairpin gently. This was her favorite hairpin to wear outdoors. Wearing it today was to remind herself to never change her heart.

It belonged to her master. No one else can waver it.

Midori took a nice look at Ayano's appearance, finally saying, "Well... Mistress is beautiful regardless. I guess this is fine."

Ayano chuckled and pushed Midori's forehead with her finger, teasing, "Did you eat honey this morning? Such sickly sweet words you spit."

The green-haired maid giggled while rubbing her forehead.

Ayano took out a deep red piece of paper from a small jewelry box and placed it between her lips, then pressing her cherry lips together, allowing the lipstick to color her lips crimson.

A maid suddenly came inside her room, panting and sweating from running.

"Mistress, the sedan chair is ready!"

Ayano nodded, and the maid left.

Midori jumped around in excitement, squealing, "This is amazing! Ayano-sama is becoming a lady!"

Ayano looked at her reflection one last time. Red. Everything was red. Her wedding robe, red as sunset, red as blood, dragged a few feet behind her. Her gold headdress weighed heavily on her head. The jades and diamonds shined pridefully on her crown until Kuu draped a red veil over it, covering the crown and Ayano's entire head.

With Kuu and Midori holding each of her arms, Ayano walked out of the Aishi residence to be greeted by the carriers of the sedan chair that was decorated with red ribbons.

"Ayano," Ryoba called from behind.

Ayano lifted her veil to see her mother and father, who was standing at the doorway to see her off.

Ryoba smiled and cupped her daughter's face gently, "My daughter is finally growing up..."

Ayano saw a teardrop slowly trickle down her mother's cheek.

"Mother..." Ayano tried to say something but couldn't for some reason. She felt something. She felt guilty. Guilty for lying to her loving mother that she is marrying happily. Guilty that she might ruin the future of the Aishi's after completing her mission.

Ryoba sniffed and wiped her eyes, "Oh, dear, look at me, I shouldn't be crying on such a happy day..."

Ayano wrapped her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly, surprising her.

More tears fell from Ryoba's eyes from the hug. She reciprocated it, hugging her daughter tightly, wishing for her happiness wholeheartedly.

"You will find true love soon, my dear..." Ryoba said, patting Ayano's head, "You will feel happy just like your mother and everyone else."

"..." Again, this twinge of guilt. It bothered Ayano.

"Alright, dear," Ryoba released her, "Off you go now! Don't keep Yamada-san waiting!"

In the back, Ayano's father opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. He wanted to hold his daughter and tell her how much he loves her, just like her mother. He wanted to see his daughter be genuinely happy for the first time in his life.

That hollow, empty smile that she forced for him as a child pained him even now.

Just for once, he wanted to be a good father for her.

But he couldn't bring himself forward.

Instead, when Ayano's eyes landed on him, he responded with a smile and nod.

_'God, please give my daughter the best family in the world, and let her be happy...'_  he prayed. He never believed in a god, but he still prayed.

Midori wiped her watery eyes, "I'm going to miss you so much, Lady Aishi...!"

Ryoba chuckled, "Take care of your mistress, Midori, Kumiko."

"Yes, milady," the maids bowed.

Finally, Ayano turned to the sedan chair and stepped inside after Midori draped the red veil back over her face.

During the trip to her soon-to-be husband's house, only two words repeated in her head.

_"Kill him."_

 

* * *

 

"BIG BROTHER!!"

Hanakō aggressively knocked on his brother's door, nearly breaking it.

"Big Brother, the bride is almost here! Why are you still not dressed?!" he yelled, then continued knocking. "The maids said you wouldn't let them in! Why is that? What are you hiding in there for?!"

There was no response.

"Big Brother!! Open the door, we don't have much time!"

Still no answer.

Hanakō's breathing increased its pace as anxiety took over. Why isn't Tarō answering? Did something happen? Is he okay? Millions of scenarios popped up in his head at once.

"...Big Brother? A-are you okay? Don't scare me! Big Brother?! Big-" Hanakō was cut off by a sudden itch in his chest and coughed loudly, covering his mouth with his elbow.

"...Hanakō."

Finally, he heard a weak response from the other side.

Sighing of relief, Hanakō knocked the door much less aggressively, "Are you done? We have to get ready to welcome Aishi-san!"

"..."

"Big Brother?"

"Hanakō..."

"Yes?"

On the other side, Tarō lowered his head, nauseating guilt and shame swarming in his body.

"I can't do this."

Hanakō furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry..." Tarō placed his head against the door, "but I can't marry a girl with someone else still in my heart."

"Huh?" Hanakō felt sweat coming down his forehead, "W-what do you mean? You can't possibly be telling me..."

"I'm sorry..." Tarō repeated, "I can't come to the wedding. I can't marry her."

Hanakō's eyes widened like saucers. His brother was telling him that he wants to cancel the wedding. At the very last minute. This would not only break off the relationship between the Aishi's and the Yamada's, but also spread rumors around the town that could permanently damage their name.

"Big Brother, this is not the time to be joking like this! It's too late, you have to come out now! The bride is here!"

"Tell Mother and Father that I can't come. Tell Aishi-san I'm sorry. I'll take responsibility for any consequence. I...just can't do this."

"You can't-"

"Please, Hanakō... I've never asked for anything in my life. Just this once, please...let me be selfish."

"This is not just about taking responsibility or being selfish! This is about the future of the Yamada's!" Hanakō knocked on the door again.

He did not receive any response.

This was the first time his brother defied any order from their parents, and this order will determine the future of their family.

Not knowing what to do to convince his stubborn brother to come out, Hanakō immediately ran back to their parents. 

 

* * *

 

"What?!" the master of the Yamada household stood up in shock.

Hanakō gulped nervously, "W-what do we do...?"

His parents glanced at each other, completely taken aback by their oldest son's actions.

"That bastard..." Hanakō's father's face turned red from anger, veins popping on his forehead, "I will kill him!"

"Master, calm down!" Hanakō's mother held onto her husband's arm, preventing him from storming outdoors and making a scene.

"Let me go, I'll kill that bastard! He's going to ruin everything we have!"

"Master, Master!"

Hanakō watched helplessly as his parents struggle to keep calm. He could only pray for his brother after tonight, and that the Aishi's will forgive them.

After almost ten minutes of struggling, Master Yamada finally calmed down. He slumped into a chair, sighing deeply in despair. He felt his world crumbling apart. The years of hard work he put into his name and family will be ruined because of his son.

Lady Yamada leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Since it's already like this, we'll just go with what we have." Her eyes traveled to her second son, who blinked in confusion and worry.

"We negotiated a marriage between our eldest son and their daughter...but they don't know what our eldest son looks like, right?"

"...you mean...?"

"Yes, my lord."

"B-but what if they find out...?!"

"We can deal with that later, my lord, but for now, we don't have much time anymore. Let's just go with this plan to save face today."

"...alright. Seems like this is the only plan."

Lady Yamada turned to her second son.

"Hanakō, listen carefully."

Hanakō nodded, "Yes, Mother."

"Tonight, you will be filling in your brother's spot as the groom."

Hanakō's eyes widened, "W-what...?"

"There's no time, Hanakō. The only thing we can do now is to have you take your brother's spot for today. Do  _not_  say anything to the outsiders."

"I...y-you can't be serious... This is disrespecting Aishi-san!"

"It'll be more disrespecting if we cancel the wedding now! Now go get dressed, the bride will be here at any moment now!"

"But-"

"GO!"

"...yes, Mother..."

 

* * *

 

Joyful horns accompanied by roaring drums and clashing cymbals filled up Buraza Town as the new bride of the Yamada's eldest son traveled down the street. Many commoners and peasants peeked from their houses and shops to see the parade walk by. The man on the horse guiding the sedan chair threw gold coins on the streets, attracting people all around.

Aso yawned after his daydream was interrupted by the loud noises of the wedding parade. Surprised by the sudden appearance of people dressed in jolly red, he tapped on the shoulder of a dozing Hagiwara next to him.

"Hagiwara-san, Hagiwara-san!" he called.

Hagiwara jumped a little and rubbed his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, boy, what is it?"

Aso's clear sapphire eyes sparkled in curiosity as he pointed to the passing parade, "What's that all about?"

"Oh, someone's gettin' married. That's the bride in that fancy box those four pals are carrying."

"A wedding? I've never seen such an...extra ceremony."

"That's 'cause they're some rich folks."

Hagiwara went back to napping, not caring if tiny flies were coming after his crops that he was selling. The business was slow today.

Aso stood up and ran to the street, watching the parade disappear into the distance.

 

* * *

 

"The bride has arrived!" a servant announced as the noticeable red sedan chair approached the Yamada residence. 

The four carriers gently let down the chair and lifted the curtains to reveal the soon-to-be lady of the Yamada's.

Ayano lifted her veil to breathe in the fresh air that was blocked off from her for almost two hours and to take in the image of the residence. Tall buildings, lion statues, cherry blossom trees, and ponds decorated by lotuses. Nothing less from what she saw at her own place.

"M-Mistress, don't show your face, yet!" Midori quickly dragged the veil back down.

"Welcome, Aishi-san," a group of maids walked towards them and greeted Ayano with a bow, "Please follow us."

Midori and Kuu held each of Ayano's hand and followed the maids.

Ayano didn't know where she would end up. The trip to the bridal room seemed like forever.

In her head, her master's words continued to repeat themselves.

_Kill him._

_Kill him._

_Kill him._

Suddenly, she heard the sound of heavy wooden doors being opened, and she was escorted inside.

She sneakily lifted her veil again to take a peek. Painted candles in the bridal room. There in the back was her bed...or rather, her husband and her bed. Ayano's eyes wandered off. Soft pillows made with golden silk. Curtains held up to the sides by ropes.

Before Midori could catch her showing her face again, Ayano quickly let the veil fall back.

The group of guiding maids stopped walking here and left the room after bowing goodbye to Ayano. Midori and Kuu walked Ayano to the bed of her nuptial night and gently helped her sit down.

"Mistress, Midori and I will wait for Young Master Yamada to come," Kuu said.

Ayano heard their footsteps being directed farther away, and soon, she heard the door close. Finally, Ayano could lift up her veil again.

The room was dim, weakly illuminated by the candles and lanterns a couple of meters away.

Ayano sighed to herself. Nuptial night...the most important night in a girl's life. Even though she has already lost the right to have the life of a normal girl, she still wondered if one day she could experience something like this without a heavy mission crushing her back.

Saying one last goodbye to her life as a girl, she let the veil cover her face again, ready to embrace her life as a woman.

Yet, that life never came to embrace her.

 

* * *

 

Almost two hours passed. The sky had changed from light indigo to ebony black. A candle has already burned out.

Midori yawned and rubbed her eyes. She then turned around to check on Ayano through the door, who was still sitting straight with the veil covering her head.

"Why hasn't this first young master come yet..." Midori whined, yawning again, a drop of tear coming out of her eye.

Kuu, who was still standing straight, gave her a stern look, "Do not complain, Midori. Perhaps something has happened that caused the delay."

"At least bring someone to notify us..."

"Enough already. Stand straight."

Midori pouted and stood back straight.

Another long and dreadful hour has passed.

From inside, Ayano suddenly heard a voice telling her maids to leave, following the sound of the doors finally opening.

The footsteps grew closer, and Ayano's heart raced faster.

This is the man she now belonged to. This is the man she has to kill.

A pair of hands gently lifted the veil from her head and set it to the side. Ayano slowly looked up.

Standing before her was a boy with hair dark as the night, a few strands running down the middle of his young face. His eyes were round and innocent, reflecting no impure thoughts. Ayano could faintly see in the dim room that his face was paler than healthy and that he had a smaller build than other boys his age.

He showed her a sweet and shy smile.

"Aishi-san..." he said softly.

Ayano stared at him for a few more seconds in silence.

"Good evening, Second Young Master," she greeted.

The boy looked surprised, his eyes widening and his mouth opening slightly.

"Y-you...know who I am?"

Ayano nodded.

"B-but...how?"

It was known to many that the second son of the Yamada family was born weak and sickly, something that the parents were embarrassed about. Seeing the boy's unconfident and shy posture, light bags under his eyes, and pale face, Ayano made the brave connection that he was the sickly second son.

Of course, she can't tell him that.

"You seem a little younger than me, and I know the oldest son of Yamada reached the age of eighteen," she responded.

Hanakō scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "O-Oh..."

They stayed silent for a moment before Hanakō spoke again.

"I'm...probably not the person you wanted to see tonight..."

Ayano sighed, "Worry not. I expected this."

Hanakō tilted his head in confusion.

"Uekiya Engeika, right? The girl that your brother is in love with?"

"..." Hanakō looked at the floor with shame.

"It's well-known that the first young master is loyal and righteous. He would not be able to marry a girl while still in love with another."

"...that's right."

Ayano scooted to the side of the bed and patted on the spot next to her, "Here, you can sit."

Hanakō stepped out a foot, hesitated, then stepped back. His face tinted pink.

"I-I shouldn't, you're my sister-in-law, and this is supposed to be the bed where you and my brother lie... I shouldn't contaminate it."

Ayano chuckled, impressed by how well-disciplined and reserved the second young master is.

Hanakō fidgeted and tugged on his sleeve, still blushing, "Um, b-but, at least I can take you around our place to get you to be familiar! That's the most I can do for you."

His sister-in-law nodded at the idea, smiling warmly.

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that."

Hanakō nodded enthusiastically.

"I should go now, please get a good rest, Aishi- uh..." he trailed off, unsure what to call her since she is now a Yamada.

"Ayano. Ayano is fine."

"Okay, then...goodnight, Ayano-san!" Hanakō waved and walked towards the door before stopping. He turned around again, a worried and nervous look on his face.

"Um...about my brother... You'll see him very soon, I'm sure of it! He's responsible and mature, he'll eventually learn to accept another person."

Ayano chuckled again, "I'll be waiting for him with open arms."

Hanakō then finally left, leaving Ayano alone in the bridal room on her nuptial night.

_Kill him._

Her master's words ringed in her ears again.

Ayano sighed, "This is going to be harder than I thought..."

The more restrained a man is trained to be since young, the more emotional he can be. And that is the case with Tarō Yamada.

Perhaps the only way for her to get close to him is to somehow let him forget about Uekiya Engeika.

But what could she do to grab someone like Tarō's heart?

Ayano stripped off the heavy layers of her red wedding robe, revealing a thin layer of a white nightgown. Then she stood up to blow out the remaining candles, and the room fell into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for grammar mistakes, I can't English.


	4. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayano receives her first mission after settling in the Yamada household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to change Info-kun to Info-sama because "-kun" is too cute to be killing people, and "-sama" is just cooler and more superior.

* * *

 

Ayano woke up from a faint banging sound against wood outside the bridal room. She quickly sat up and looked around to see no light through the paper on the doors and windows. The sky was still dark.  
  
She immediately ran to the windows and pulled them open. A crow saw the wooden window sill available and descended from the air to stand on it. Between its beak was a few strands of hair in the shade of brilliant crimson.  
  
Wasting no time, Ayano tied up her ebony hair into a high ponytail with a red ribbon. When she was about to find her black assassin suit to put on, she silently cursed to herself. All of her belongings are in another room.  
  
_'Too sloppy,'_  she insulted herself.  
  
There were no other convenient outfits around in the bridal room, so she tied her long nightgown tightly around her waist, revealing her fair, slim legs. She will be shamed to death if she were to be found like that, but there was no other option.  
  
Without lingering for another second, she swiftly ran out of the room, making no sounds, and stealthily jumped from roof to roof to avoid anyone's sight.  
  
The Yamada residence is big, rivaling the Aishi residence. There were many houses around, each quite far apart, so Ayano had to borrow trees to jump to the next rooftop. She used this chance to quickly make note of the map of the residence so that it will be easier to remember when Hanako takes her around later in the day.  
  
Jumping on rough surfaces with bare feet was difficult, but luckily for Ayano, there were very little guards around. She was able to escape the residence easily. After she crossed the main gate, she jumped on the ground and sprinted as fast as she could without making any noise.  
  
The neighbor of Buraza Town is the older Shisuta Town, infamous for its poverty and many bad activities like gambling and violence. In the dark corners, there is a small, crumbling, wooden house. It was said that there used to be a family that lived here until the wife died, and the husband abandoned their home and ran away.  
  
Ayano arrived at this old house and went in. The house is empty, with dusty chairs and molding walls. Ayano slowly walked around the floor until she heard a hollow creak. Then she knelt and lifted a loose piece of wood to reveal ladders leading to an underground base.  
  
_'I should find a rug to cover this up,'_  she thought before going down the ladders, closing the entrance.

* * *

 

"Father," Megamo said as he stepped in his office.

His father was sitting at his desk while going through some bamboo slips with his eyebrows furrowed. In front of him was the second son of the Saikou family, Kencho Saikou, a younger boy with similar features as Megamo but lacked the confident and cold aura that Megamo and their father had.

Kencho sneered when he saw his older brother come in. Always so cocky, trying to show off in front of him. Who does he think he is?

Megamo ignored his rudeness and knelt on one knee to greet the prime minister.

"You're here, Megamo," his eyebrows slowly loosened up as he motioned for Megamo to stand up.

"Yes, Father."

He looked up from his work, "Tomorrow, you will be leading an army to salvage the north. Do you believe you are capable?"

"I do," his son responded without hesitation, "Megamo will not let down Father's expectations."

"That is what I like to hear," the prime minister nodded, satisfied with his son. "You will leave right before the sun rises. The trip to the northern territory will be about a week if nothing happens on the way. There should be enough food for everyone for the time being."

"Thank you, Father, for your consideration."

"I know you will make me proud, son."

"Tch," Kencho scoffed, "Let's see who's laughing after he gets his head cut off in the war."

The prime minister glared at him coldly, "Insolent boy, watch your words."

"Father, you are letting an inexperienced young boy like Megamo going into war with bloodthirsty savages! There is a huge risk of losing thousands of soldiers if Megamo were to fail!"

"He is your older brother, do not call him by his name."

"Father! You are using human lives as your wager with the Emperor! How will the rest of the world look at us if Megamo loses against Osoro's people?!"

"Enough! It's merely some nomads who are behind in every way on technology. Your brother is more than able to take them down."

"Why do you believe in him so much?! He's only seventeen, he has no experiences besides the training you give him and the few small wars with some smaller states. But this time, we're going against a huge number of ruthless barbarians! And you're offering your head if Megamo loses!"

His father slammed his fist on the desk, creating a dent in the fine wood. The room falls into silence.

"I said...ENOUGH!" he raised his voice, "You will NOT argue with me the night before your brother's departure. You need to grow up, Kencho. You are already fifteen, yet you act nothing like a son of the Saikou family."

"..." Kencho turned his head away, resentment overflowing in his eyes.

"It is late now. Go to sleep," Prime Minister Saikou pinched the bridge of his nose, "Be prepared to send Megamo away in the morning."

Megamo's eyes moved to the side to look at his envious younger brother, who glared back. Kencho's hands tightened into fists as veins of anger popped on his forehead.

"'Act nothing like a son of the Saikou family'? Heh..." Kencho chuckled bitterly, "The son of the Saikou family is supposed to be loyal to the throne. Not usurp it."

Not waiting for his father to reply, Kencho walked out of the office, his shoulder bumping into Megamo's with force on the way.

Megamo turned to watch the back of his brother disappearing into the distance, then back at his father, who appeared to be in more stress than before.

"Unfilial son..." he sighed, "He will never understand."

Megamo's eyelids lowered. Those words echoed themselves in his head.

_"The son of the Saikou family is supposed to be loyal to the throne. Not usurp it."_  

* * *

The heavy wooden door scratched against the stone floor as Ayano pushed it open. Her master was sitting there, back faced against her as always. He had a small altar in front of him with a photo of an unfamiliar man sitting at the center and a joss stick stand on each of the photo's side.

After Ayano closed the door, she dropped to one knee and lowered her head, "Master, I am here."

He didn't respond, filling the room with pregnant silence. After a few minutes, he finally turned around.

"Quite the delay, my dear student..." Ayano felt goosebumps from hearing his voice, "Not your usual speed."

"Ayano had some inconveniences," she replied. She definitely could not tell him that she carelessly left her suit with her other belongings.

"Inconveniences, huh..."

He didn't say anything else, yet Ayano could still feel chills down her spine. Luckily for her, he did not ask any more questions.

"I received a request from a client earlier," he began.

Throughout the small Buraza Town and its neighboring Shisuta Town, the name "Info-sama" is infamously known as an information-collector and seller. It was said that this person knows everything about everyone in the area, and has connections with even the royalty. Nobody knows who this person is, what gender this person has, how they gather information, or anything else. Some people even think "Info-sama" is only a myth.

However, the only thing people know is they can ask "Info-sama" for a favor in exchange for their most prized possession.

That favor...is to kill a person.

Ayano, as a result, became Info-sama's disciple, serving as his tool, his weapon. And weapons do not have emotions. So she gave him her heart, becoming a heartless killer.

"Mei Mio," Info-sama said and tossed a piece of paper at Ayano. The paper slowly flowed to her palms. "She is a waitress in Odayaka Restaurant."

Ayano smoothed out the paper and glanced at the name on it. The handwriting is pretty, seemed like it belonged to a girl. Ayano has been to that restaurant a couple of times before, and in her memory, the workers were generally very polite. What kind of hatred is happening behind the scenes that caused a girl wanting to kill one of them?

"She lives about three blocks away from Yuna Hina," Info-sama added, "Her family is not very active. Her father is into literature, and he wrote their family name on a sign in calligraphy on their house. It will be noticeable once you see it."

Yuna Hina... That name belonged to the girl Ayano killed last time. She heard that after her mother's plea for help from the magistrate was denied, she fell into heavy depression and became mental.

"Yes, Master," Ayano replied.

She crumpled up the paper and shoved it into her mouth, swallowing it. Just as she stood up and was about to leave, Info-sama stopped her.

"Ayano," he called out.

Ayano halted in her steps and turned around. "Yes, Master?"

Her master stood up and walked towards her. Ayano stepped forward, wanting to help him walk since he is blind, but he managed to stop before bumping into her.

"How was the wedding?" he asked with a smile.

Ayano pursed her lips, "It was..."

Eventless, she wanted to say. Humiliating, even, to be ghosted by her groom and be deceived by his family. If she was a normal girl, she would have been devastated. But who has the right to say anything in a loveless marriage?

Ayano sighed, "Nothing happened."

Info-sama raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

"Taro Yamada did not spend the night with me. He did not even come into my room. He refused to see me. They made the second son, Hanakō Yamada, take his spot. He came into my room that night but did not do anything to me."

"Is that so..." Info-sama crossed his arms.

Ayano continued, "Taro Yamada is in love with a common girl who works in a flower shop, Uekiya Engeika. She is the reason he did not attend the wedding. He believed he should not be marrying me when he's still in love with someone else."

"Ah, right, Uekiya Engeika," Info-sama turned around and put his hands behind his back, "What a simpleton... To be going after a girl from such a lowly family. But I guess that is to be expected from someone like Taro Yamada."

After a short moment in silence, he spoke again, "Seems like this can be quite a challenge for you, my dear. After all, this is the first time I've heard a man not attending his wedding."

Ayano furrowed her eyebrows, "Ayano will do anything possible to get him to see me."

A fox-like smirk slowly stretched out the corners of Info-sama's mouth, "I guess...you'll have to win his heart. That's even better. It will be...very painful to be betrayed by someone he loves."

Ayano's eyes widened slightly. Her master was never the type to have any emotional connection with another person. What has this Taro Yamada done in the past to have her master hold such a grudge against him?

"But...how can I win his heart if he refuses to see me?"

Info-sama chuckled, "That is where you prove your usefulness to me, my dear."

Taking a deep breath, Ayano knelt back down on one knee, "Yes, Master."

Her master waved his hand without turning back to look at her, signaling that she may leave now. Ayano obeyed and left after closing the heavy door.

* * *

Hanakō gently pushed open the door to Taro's room after dismissing the maids, "Big Brother..."

Taro lied in his bed on his side with his back facing the door. Hanakō has never seen his brother so vulnerable and lonely before. It broke his heart to see his closest family member and best friend being like this.

Hanakō closed the door and approached Taro, "Big Brother, it's morning now."

"Mm..." Taro responded meekly. He hadn't been sleeping at all the entire night.

"..." Hanakō sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, "You haven't eaten anything yesterday. You can't destroy your own body like this, Big Brother."

"It's okay..." Taro replied, "I'm not hungry."

"No, you can't give up on living, Big Brother. I don't want to see you like this. Nor...nor will Engeika-san..."

"It's okay, Hanakō..."

The younger Yamada didn't say anything else and let the room be filled with seconds of silence.

"I met my sister-in-law yesterday," he finally said. "She was kind. She didn't get angry at us."

"..."

"She's pretty and has a warm smile. And...and she was polite and easy to talk to. I like her."

"..."

"She's also very smart. She was able to tell that I'm not you. I think...I think you'd get along great."

"..."

Hanakō sighed deeply, "At least...say something..."

When he didn't hear a response from his brother, he stood back up and walked to the door, "I'll come back later. I promised Aish-...Ayano-san that I will show her around our home."

After he left, Taro slowly sat up and glanced at the doorway. It was bright outside, but he had no energy to leave his room.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered, not clear if it's to himself or someone else, "but I can't present myself, yet."

* * *

"Mistress, Mistress," Midori's voice woke Ayano up from her short sleep, "Good morning!"

Ayano rubbed her eyes and saw light seeping through the papers on the windows and doors. Her maid's face popped up close to her. A little too close. As a result, Ayano lightly smacked Midori's forehead and told her to step back a little.

Midori rubbed her forehead and pouted, "Geez... Mistress always liked to hit Midori's forehead!"

"That's because Mistress is checking if it's empty in there," Kuu said as she walked in the room holding a large bowl of water.

"Kuu-chan, you're so mean!" Midori wined.

Kuu ignored Midori and greeted Ayano, "Good morning, Mistress, let Kuu assist you in washing up."

Ayano nodded and got off her bed.

After washing up, Kuu helped apply some light makeup on her and combed her hair.

While having her hair combed, Ayano asked, "Kuu, has there been any activities from First Young Master?"

"Nothing that I have heard of," Kuu answered.

"I see..." Ayano chuckled humorlessly, "He certainly does not want to see me."

"Not true, Mistress. Taro-sama just needs some time to recover."

"Such a fool... Believing in the fantasy where everything will go his way."

"He will grow up one day."

Hairpin attached, and Ayano was finally presentable.

A knock on the door disrupted the peacefulness in the bridal room. Midori bounced up from the chair and quickly went to meet the visitor.

"Coming!" she said as she opened the door, "Oh, Second Young Master?"

Hanakō smiled shyly and peeked inside, "Is Ayano-san decent, yet?"

Ayano stood up and approached her guest with a smile, "Yes. Good morrow, Hanakō-kun."

Midori blinked and whispered to Kuu, "They're already on the first-name basis? Is that alright?"

Kuu pinched her cheek and ignored her question.

Hanakō beamed, "Great, come on, I'll show you around our place now! Be sure to follow me closely as it is pretty big."

* * *

The morning sun rose higher and brought light upon the Yamada residence. Pink cherry blossom petals danced in the breeze as the younger son of the Yamada's guided the three girls from the Aishi's around his home.

"This is the garden," Hanakō introduced as they walked to a wide, open area decorated by colorful flowers, cherry blossom trees, stone statues, and a pond. Lotuses and lilypads floated around the clear pond while koi fish swam around in the water.

"Wow, so pretty!" Midori exclaimed, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement, "I've never seen something like this back in our home!"

"It certainly is quite a sight," Ayano commented, making Hanakō beaming with pride.

"It's my favorite place to hang out in," he said, "Sometimes, I like to play 'Go' with my brother and our friend under that pavilion." He pointed to a red pavilion sitting on an elevated platform with chairs and a table underneath the roof.

Hanakō's smile slowly reflected sadness, "Ever since I was a child, I had a very weak body. If I could, I will go out and play with boys my age and have a couple of drinks, and maybe learn martial arts or sword arts. But...my parents are worried that something bad would happen and they wouldn't be close enough to help me, so I was never allowed to go outside."

Ayano glanced at him.

"That's why I like this garden so much. It's big, and it's the closest I'll ever be to going outside," Hanakō sighed and looked around at the stone walls that surround the entire residence.

Ayano fell into thoughts for a moment, then smiled and held one of Hanakō's hands with both of hers, "Perhaps you can go further."

Hanakō glanced at their held hands and blushed. Are they allowed to do this? She is his sister-in-law, is it okay for her to touch him like this?

"Um, A-Ayano-san..."

Ayano quickly let go of his hand, "Oh, sorry."

"It's, it's okay!" Hanakō scratched the back of his neck, flustered, "What do you mean by... 'go further'?"

"It means..." Ayano grinned, "I can maybe take you outside one day."

Hanakō widened his eyes, "Huh? No, don't do that. My parents will be upset! I don't want you to risk it for me!"

"Don't worry. I have many ways to sneak you out."

"I... I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried," Hanakō laughed, "Thank you for your kind thoughts, Ayano-san. But please don't do anything foolish, I wouldn't want you to get on my parents' bad side."

While they continued chatting, a petite girl in a servant outfit ran over to them and bowed.

"S-Second Young Master...!" she said as she tried to catch her breath, "A guest is waiting for you."

"Guest? Who is it?" Hanakō glanced at Ayano awkwardly and looked back at the maid, "Are they important? I'm trying to show Sister-in-Law around..."

The maid fidgeted nervously, "Well... it's... Konogawa-sama..."

Groaning quietly to himself, Hanakō looked at Ayano apologetically for having to leave her behind all of a sudden, to which she nodded understandingly.

"I'm sorry, Ayano-san. I'll be back as soon as possible," Hanakō said before leaving with the maid.

"Who's Konogawa?" Midori asked.

"One of the Emperor's royal subjects," Ayano replied, "You might have heard about his son, Kyuji Konogawa."

"Oh! I know him! The famous playboy of Buraza Town who stole hundreds of young maidens' hearts!" Midori blushed and sighed dreamily, then her daydream faded when she remembered, "Well, at least he used to be. I heard that he is rarely seen anymore. Not sure what happened. Why did his dad come, though?"

Ayano chose to not point out her maid's fast mood change, "Probably to ally with the Yamada's."

After strolling around the garden for a little longer, Ayano dismissed Midori and Kuu, telling them that she wanted to be alone for a while before Hanakō comes back from his (pretty long) guest meeting.

"Very well, please be careful, Mistress. Midori and I will help out with the housework now," Kuu told her before leaving with Midori.

Ayano decided to take this time to scope around the residence some more and remember the architecture style and the location of different houses. Compared to her home, there were much fewer guards roaming around. Most of them stand by the main gate.

It seemed like the Yamada family is certainly wealthy, but noticeably less wealthy than the Aishi's. The fortune of the Aishi family has been one of the most impressive in the town, or perhaps the country, hence up until Ayano's generation, all of the husbands of Aishi women married into the wife's side and taking the Aishi surname.

Why did this trend break at Ayano, she didn't know, but she hypothesized that Father needed an alliance with Master Yamada, so he could only agree to let her take the husband's family name.

"Oof!" Ayano grunted when she bumped into a person while she was roaming around, lost in thoughts. She rubbed her head and opened her eyes to see the shoulder of a stranger. She then lifted her head to meet the person's eyes and was surprised by what she saw.

He was not very tall or built, but he was very pretty. His long, coral hair flowed with the breeze, tangling with the red ribbon that tied it up into a ponytail. He glanced at her, surprise reflected in his amber eyes.

Quite funny how the prettiest person she has met in the Yamada residence so far is a boy, Ayano thought.

"My apologies," Ayano bowed politely, "I was not paying attention to my surroundings."

He scanned her briefly with his eyes and asked, "Are you new here? I haven't seen you around before."

"My name is Ay..." Ayano trailed off and spun her eyes around as she thought, then continued, "Ayumi. My name is Ayumi. I am a new maid here."

"Oh, that so?" the stranger cocked an eyebrow, "What are you doing here, then? Shouldn't you be working?"

Ayano pretended to be flustered, "W-well... This place is pretty big, s-so... I got lost."

"Huh. Where are you supposed to go? I'm Taro...er...your first young master's friend. I know this place pretty well."

"Um..." Ayano blanked. Taro Yamada's friend? Could this person be...

"Well? Have you forgotten where you're supposed to be?" Osano asked impatiently.

"N-no, um... I'm supposed to be assisting First Young Master in his morning routine," Ayano replied. If this boy is Taro's best friend, then she can use him to find out more about the older Yamada son.

Osano scoffed, "You're here to take care of him yet you don't know where he lives? Not the brightest one, are you?"

Ayano lowered her head, as if shameful of herself.

Osano shook his head and pointed to a spot in the distance, "See that tree over there? Go there and turn right, then just keep going until you see the Pavilion of Red Jade. That is where Taro lives."

Ayano nodded like a well-behaved child and flashed a wide smile, "Thank you so much, Najimi-sama!"

Before she could turn around to follow the given directions, Osano stopped her, "Wait, how'd you know who I am?"

Ayano looked back at him and gave a confused look, "Najimi-sama is the one that said you're my young master's friend, right?"

"I did...but he has many other friends, too. How'd you know I'm Najimi?"

Giggling cutely, Ayano blushed, "Well...maybe it's because...Najimi-sama is known to be very good-looking!"

That unexpected compliment took Osano aback, causing his face to redden furiously.

"Wha-... Y-you-..." Osano tried to gather his composure and covered his mouth with his wrist, "So bold of you! Y-you can't... You can't just..." He blushed harder when he realized how much he was stuttering,

_'Such a boy,'_  Ayano thought. Can't believe the only child of the great merchant family of Najimi's was this weak against compliments. This made things much easier. She can flatter him with constant compliments and eventually grow closer and closer to him. That is one step closer to Taro Yamada.

"What's the matter?" Ayano queried and tilted her head like a puppy, "Najimi-sama's face is very red..." She moved towards him and stared at his face.

Osano turned his head away, "N-no, it's not!"

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm not!" Osano turned his back towards her, not allowing her to see him.

Ayano leaned to the side to try to peek at his expression, but he turned with her and blocked her eyesight with his back.

"Are you upset, Najimi-sama?" she asked innocently.

"N-no! I mean... Ugh, I just think you're acting improperly. Men and women should not be so close."

Ayano giggled, "'So close'? Ayumi was only worried about you as a servant. How close did Najimi-sama want to be?"

Osano snapped his head back, and Ayano didn't think he could get any redder. "Y-You shameless woman!"

Before he could say anything else, Hanakō finally returned from meeting the guests, "Osano-kun!"

Ayano and Osano looked in his direction and saw him running towards them. Hanakō panted heavily and bent over. Remembering that he had a weak body, Ayano quickly ran to his side and patted his back.

"Slow down, Hanakō, you didn't have to run," Osano said with concern.

Hanakō finally caught up with his breath, "Osano-kun, you sneaked from the back gate again!"

Osano shrugged, "I didn't wanna deal with the tedious stuff in the front. I came to see Taro. I haven't seen him for quite a while."

Ayano pulled out her handkerchief and gently wiped the heavy sweat off Hanakō's head, to which he expressed gratefulness.

"Big Brother is...busy right now. You'll see him soon enough!"

"Hopefully. I need to discuss something with him. Also..." Osano scratched his cheek with a finger, "...how was the wedding?"

"Eh?" Hanakō's cheeks turned pink and quickly glanced at his sister-in-law, "T-to ask me that..."

Osano blinked and blushed fiercely, "N-not THAT part! I'm talking about the ceremony and stuff! Like...how was the bride?"

Hanakō cocked an eyebrow and looked at Ayano again, then back at Osanō, confused that he was asking about her when he saw them having a conversation just now. Before he said anything back, Ayano nudged him gently, prompting him to change what he wanted to say.

"Oh, the bride! I talked to her, she was very nice!" Hanakō smiled awkwardly, "I think you'd get along very well."

Osano nodded, relieved for his friend.

"I was hoping I'd see Taro today, but I guess not. I gotta go now, Haruka-san said there are new stocks of jewelry coming in today."

Hanakō grinned cheekily, "I bet you're going to see Kokona-chan, aren't you?"

"NO!" Osano exploded, "She's not my type!"

"Ooh, Osano-kun, you have a type?"

"Why are you surprised?! Of course, I do!"

"Care to tell me what it is?"

"I sure do not!"

Hanakō laughed, "My brother's already married now, don't you think it's time for you to take that step, too? Plus, Kokona-chan's family and yours have been business partners for a long time. It'll be very advantageous if you married her."

Osano rolled his eyes and sighed frustratedly, "Girls are a waste of my time. And besides, Haruka likes Taro anyway... It's not like she'll want to marry me anyway. I don't want to force anyone."

"Oh, uh..." Hanakō widened his eyes when Osano exposed Kokona's feelings so casually...in front of Taro's wife. He became flustered and tried to explain to Ayano, "Um, uh, a-about that, about Kokona-chan..."

Osano, thinking Hanakō was talking to him, said, "It doesn't matter. If Taro wants, he can take her in as a concubine."

Hanakō's face reddened, "O-Osano-kun...!"

"What?"

"U-uh..."

Hanakō glanced at Ayano's expression to see how she reacted, but he was surprised when he just saw her usual smile on her face. Was she hiding how upset she felt? Or did she just not care?

Osano raised an eyebrow at his friend's strange behavior before saying, "I really have to go now. I'll come back tomorrow. Tell Taro that I was here, alright?"

"A-ah, yes, alright!"

With that, Ayano and Hanakō watched the young master of the Najimi family climb over the wall, nearly falling, and escaped the Yamada residence.

After Osano was out of sight, Hanakō sighed, "Um...Ayano-san, just now, about Kokona-chan...please ignore Osano-kun. He sometimes doesn't watch his words..."

Ayano chuckled and patted his head adoringly, making him blush, "Worry not, Hanakō-kun. Taro-san is a charming person. I do not blame him for having many admirers."

Hanakō cheered up at her open-mindedness, "You're so nice, Ayano-san. I really wish my brother would be more open like you... I think he would like you a lot. I know I do."

Ayano laughed and squished his cheek, "My, you are quite a little flirt, aren't you?"

"A-Ayano-san...! I'm only a year younger than you!"

For the rest of the morning, Hanakō continued to guide her around their home. He showed her the main lobby, the kitchen, the servants' residence, the family room, and even his own place. She noticed, however, that he purposely did not take her close to the Pavilion of Red Jade, Taro's residence.

During the tour, Ayano thought about what Osano said earlier.

Kokona Haruka likes Taro, huh? Perhaps she can dig out some more information from her later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Residences of rich families aren't just one single mansion. Instead, it's more like a huge territory surrounded by stone walls, and inside there are a bunch of smaller houses that serve different purposes. They also have pretty poetic names, but English is kinda limited, so I couldn't think of a good name for Taro's house.


	5. Tainted Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first blood spill after marrying into the Yamada household.

 

* * *

 

Odayaka Restaurant was always full of customers. They had the best food and wine in the town, and their customer service was also top-notch. In addition, the main cook, the son of the couple that established this restaurant, possessed a charming personality that also attracted many people.  
  
Since it'd be difficult to be outdoors as a woman, Ayano snuck out while she was dressed up in men's clothing and used makeup to give herself a more masculine face. For self-defense, she also hid a poisoned needle in her hair.  
  
"Hmm..." Ayano observed the interior of the restaurant. Red carpet, calligraphy writings, and busy waiters and waitresses serving delicious-smelling dishes.  
Seems like this restaurant was pretty progressive, letting women work, too.  
  
A young woman saw Ayano standing by the entrance and approached her with a smile, "Welcome, dear customer! Where would you like to sit?"  
  
Ayano smiled back politely, "Anywhere is fine."  
  
She was guided to a table in the corner, close to the kitchen. How perfect.  
  
"What would you like to order?" the waitress asked and handed her a menu.  
  
Ayano scanned the menu and chose the corn-and-chicken soup. It was easy but will give her enough time to observe the workers here.  
  
After the waitress left, Ayano placed her head on her hand, supported by her elbow on the table and watched the ongoing business in boredom. There were twelve servers, all wearing coarse, brown fabric, and dirty aprons.  
  
Even when the country is at war with the Delinquents, these commoners are still living happily. Such a carefree and heartwarming lifestyle was something Ayano would never understand. Her life has always been surrounded by orders, whether it was at home as a lady, or with her master as his disciple.  
  
_'I should really come out more often...and maybe bring Hanakō Yamada,'_ she pondered. The second son of the Yamada's had always been barred from the outside world. If she snuck him out a few times, he would probably thank her and develop a bond with her.  
  
Her soup soon came, and she dug in while keeping an eye out on the waitresses.  
  
_"Crash!"_  
  
A sudden sound of glass shattering silenced the entire restaurant. Ayano took one had another spoonful of soup before looking up.  
  
In the center, a grown man with a bushy beard and chubby build stood up and slammed his hands on the table.  
  
"This is a fraud!" he growled, his face red with anger.  
  
The poor waitress he was yelling at trembled from fear and bowed, "S-sorry, sir, b-but...that is the rules..."  
  
A short, scrawny guy with buck teeth humphed, "Excuse me? Do you know who this is? This is the almighty Ronshaku-sama! You should be HONORED that he even paid you peasants a visit!"  
  
_'Oh, a typical rich-bullying-the-poor scene,'_  Ayano thought. Not wanting to be involved, she picked up her bowl and gulped down the rest of the soup. From the looks of it, she wouldn't be able to find out any more information with this commotion going on.  
  
She then lifted her hand to call over a waiter to clean up her table.  
  
"What seems to be the problem?" Ayano heard a gentle voice ask. She turned her head towards the voice and saw a young man come out from the kitchen while wiping his hands on his apron.  
  
His chestnut brown hair was tied up and covered by his mint green chef bandana that matched his eyes. He wore a mint apron, too, instead of a white one like the others.  
  
Ayano noticed a lot of the waitresses' eyes follow him with excitement and admiration. She concluded that he must be the main cook and manager of the restaurant, Amao Odayaka.  
  
"Good morrow, sir," Amao greeted politely with a bow, "I'm the manager here. Is there any problem?"  
  
The pompous man named "Ronshaku" huffed, "You need to teach her how to act. Are all of your workers here this disrespectful?"  
  
Amao glanced at the waitress, who's on the verge of tears, and said, "What has she done that caused you trouble?"  
  
The scrawny man, probably Ronshaku's personal servant, pointed at the waitress, "This little vixen was talking back to Ronshaku-sama!"  
  
_'This is stupid,'_ Ayano thought and stood up to leave after paying for her meal.  
  
Amao turned his head to the girl, who shook her head repeatedly with wet eyes, "N-no, Odayaka-san, it's not like that!"  
  
"Calm down, Mei," Amao comforted her and patted her back softly, "Tell me what happened."  
  
Ayano stopped in her steps and looked at the waitress. Mei? That must be Mei Mio. Then...should she help her?  
  
Mei sniffed and wiped her eyes, "This customer...refuses to pay for his food. I wouldn't let him go, and..."  
  
...yeah, why not.  
  
"Ronshaku-sama has donated more money to the government than you peasants could ever imagine!" the servant exclaimed, "That money helped support this entire country. That includes this restaurant! You should be thanking him, you ungrateful rats!"  
  
Amao calmly retorted, "We thank you for your service to the palace, sir. However, that money is not enough to feed everyone that works here. You would still need to pay."  
  
Ronshaku slammed his fist on the table, causing the plates and bowls to bounce a little, "'Need?!' Do you know who I am? I can let you go out of business with a snap of my fingers!"  
  
Amao kept his polite smile, "I am fully aware, Ronshaku-sama. But I still cannot let you out before you pay. Please don't make this difficult for us."  
  
Ronshaku's face was so red that steam was practically coming out of his ears. Sighing to herself, Ayano decided to step in. She approached their table with a boyish grin and deepened her voice.  
  
"Hey, now, let's not ruin the atmosphere for everyone else!" she said, "It's just some money, right? I'll pay for it!" When she said that, she looked at the arrogant man with a purposefully condescending smirk and took out a couple of gold coins from her pocket. She handed them to Mei, who caught them with surprise.  
  
"S-sir, this is too much!" she looked at the gold coins with wide eyes.  
  
"No worries, you guys deal with messy things every day, you deserve it," Ayano winked.  
  
Furious from being ignored, the servant of Ronshaku pointed at her and yelled, "Where did  _you_  come from, you little rascal?! Get out of the way!"  
  
"I was just minding my own business, having a nice day, and I just couldn't stay out after seeing this. I may not be incredibly rich, but I still got some coins to spare to pay for some food."  
  
"Are you implying that I don't have enough money to pay for a puny meal?!" Ronshaku grabbed her collar and pulled her close.  
  
Ayano put both of her hands up in defeat with a nonchalant expression, "I'm not saying anything. You're not gonna pay, so someone else gotta pay instead. If you won't give up, why don't you just pay more than what I have?"  
  
"I can buy  _you_ if I wanted!"  
  
"Then you surely have enough for food, right? I think I'm worth a little more than some pork ribs."  
  
"Tch..." Ronshaku gritted his teeth, his face red now because of embarrassment. He dropped her down and pulled out a whole silver ingot from his sleeve, then he slammed that on the table. Without another word, he swung his sleeve and walked out with his hands behind his back.  
  
"My Lord? Wait for me, My Lord!" the servant quickly followed his master.  
  
Finally, the restaurant was at peace again, and everyone resumed to what they were doing earlier.  
  
Ayano sighed in relief and reorganized her messed up collar. She wasn't sure how it was going to go, but at least those pompous rich folks left, and she found out what Mei Mio looks like.  
  
Amao picked up both of her hands and held them in front of his chest while looking at her with grateful eyes, "Thank you so much, young hero! You really saved us big time."  
  
Mei nodded eagerly, "And you helped us earn so much out of it. We really, really owe you one!"  
  
Ayano shook her head and chuckled, "It's nothing. I didn't like the way he talked. Some people really think they are above rules when they have money."  
  
Amao let go of her hands and sighed, "That man is the leader of Ronshaku Loans. Basically, they're loan sharks, and they're associated with many thugs and gangsters. But...because they donated a lot of money to the palace, the government could not punish them, so they let them do whatever they want..."  
  
"No wonder," Ayano rubbed her chin, "Then I might've just caused more trouble for you."  
  
Mei shook her head, "No, no, you really helped us. That Ronshaku guy values his pride a lot. He would probably not come here anymore at most."  
  
Ayano nodded. Before she turned to leave after saying goodbye, she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Amao paused her in her steps and scratched the back of his neck, "Um...if I may ask, would you please tell me your name?"  
  
Ayano blinked, then responded, "I'm Ayan..." She paused, remembering that she's a boy right now, and said, "Ayanari."  
  
"Ayanari..." Amao repeated slowly, then nodded with a sweet smile, "I'm Amao Odayaka. I hope to see you more often!"  
  
"Nice to meet you, Odayaka-san. I'll see you around."  
  
With that, Ayano waved goodbye and left.

 

 

 

* * *

 

"UNFILIAL SON!"

A heavy slap landed on Taro's face, echoing in the room. A huge red mark appeared on his pale cheek right after.

Hanakō gasped in horror and covered his mouth.

Master Yamada huffed heavily and pointed a finger at him, trembling from immense anger, "You...you're an embarrassment to the family! How DARE you!!" He lifted his hand again, preparing for another smack.

Lady Yamada quickly pulled his hand down and massaged his shoulders, "My Lord, calm down, calm down, you'll harm your body..."

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN?!!" Master Yamada's face turned red, "This bastard will be the reason for my doom! I'll...I'LL KILL HIM!!" He pushed away his wife and grabbed his sword that was hanging on the center wall in a sheath.

"My Lord, don't!!" Lady Yamada cried and held onto his arm.

Hanakō ran to his brother's side and dropped onto his knees like him, "Father, please don't do that!"

Taro didn't say anything and wiped the blood on his mouth off with the back of his hand.

Master Yamada pointed the tip of the sword's blade at Hanakō and threatened, "You move out of the way, or I'm killing you, too!"

"Father!!" Hanakō bent forward and kowtowed.

"My Lord," Lady Yamada begged, "please forgive him, he's young, he doesn't know how to act!"

"He's already eighteen! And what did he do? He didn't attend his own wedding and left the young mistress of the Aishi family alone in the bridal room!! He'd rather run away with that commoner flower shop girl than listen to his own father!!"

Hanakō straightened his back and peeked at his brother, who had his head lowered and eyes covered by his bangs. His cheek became swollen from their father's hit, but he didn't complain at all.

The sword in Master Yamada's hand slipped and landed on the floor with a loud  _'clink!'_ , startling Hanakō. His father finally calmed down a bit and panted heavily while his mother rubbed his back.

"Nothing to say, huh?" he said lowly at Taro, "Very well. I've raised one hell of a son, haven't I?!"

"My Lord-"

Master Yamada aggressively shoved his wife onto the ground before she could say anything, landing on her side. He coldly glared at her and growled, "Shut your mouth, you useless woman. Look at the bastards you gave birth to." He pointed at Taro, "One is a spineless dolt," then pointed at Hanakō, "and one is a weak and sick embarrassment of a boy."

His words stung Hanakō deeply, but he did not show any reaction.

Lady Yamada slowly picked herself up and got on her knees. Then she raised a hand and slapped herself on the face, then slapped the other side with the other hand, repeating.

"My Lord is right!" she self-deprecated, "I'm...a useless woman! I couldn't give birth to better boys! I only brought burden to the Yamada family! I should be ashamed of myself!" With each sentence, she slapped herself hard, deepening the red on both sides of her face.

Having not seen this side of his parents, the naïve Hanakō felt his eyes watering. He sniffed and immediately wiped his eyes with his sleeve, ashamed that he's acting like a child.

Master Yamada humphed, then turned his menacing eyes towards his older son, who hadn't moved an inch. With a hand gesture, he motioned two guards to come in the room.

"Lock this unfilial son up in his room. If he likes staying in there so much, then he shall not come out until he learns how to be a man."

Hanakō widened his eyes and shook his head, "No, F-Father, don't..."

"Hanakō!" his mother snapped, "Do not disobey your father. Your brother needs to learn a lesson, and you will not stop him. Now get over here."

The guards began approaching Taro, but Hanakō stood in front of him and stretched his arms out to block them, "Don't you dare touch him, otherwise, take me, too!"

Shocked, the guards glanced at one another, not knowing what to do.

"Hanakō-sama, please do not make this harder for us, this is the master's order," one of them held his fist in front of his chest in a respectful manner.

"I will not move away!"

"Hana-"

"Get past me if you dare!"

"Hanakō..." Taro suddenly spoke up quietly.

Hanakō turned around, "B-Big Brother...?"

Taro lifted his head with a pained smile, "Don't worry about me... Follow Father's orders. I'll be fine."

Lady Yamada yanked Hanakō by his collar and dragged him to her side so the guards could get to the older boy. They each grabbed one of his arms and walked him out of the room. Taro obeyed without uttering a single word.

He knew this was coming. But even so, he still couldn't bring himself to follow his father's orders. All this time, the only thing he could see was Uekiya Engeika's face flashing before his eyes.

After they were gone from sight, Master Yamada sighed deeply and walked out with his hands behind his back. Before following him, Lady Yamada glared at Hanakō, sending shivers down his spine.

"Next time, stay out of the way. You've already brought enough trouble to this family. I don't want you to add any more. Understand?"

She then left Hanakō alone in the room, not looking back once.

Hanakō placed a hand on his aching chest and coughed into his other hand. She wasn't wrong.

 

* * *

 

Behind the beaded curtains of the entrance of Golden Lotus was a place of a man's dream. Dressed in colorful silk, beautiful women hugged by the sweet fragrance of their perfume lured customers into their room. Their melodious zither music and enchanting dances seduced more men than any other place in Shisuta Town. 

 

 

"Um...are you sure about this?" scarlet-faced, the young master of the rich and powerful Soma family, Riku, nervously asked. Having no experience with this kind of place, he avoided direct eye contact with any girl that he saw.

"Of course! This is the time where we turn you into a real man!" his friend, Toga Tabara, exclaimed as he swung his arm around Riku's neck, "See all these beauties walking around? Do you not feel a little bit excited?"

"I...I don't know, Toga, I don't think we should we hanging around in brothels."

"Don't call it a 'brothel', that's so vulgar. I prefer to call it...the 'heaven on earth'. Especially heaven for men."

Riku pushed Toga's arm off of himself and began to turn around, "I think I'm going to leave..."

"Hey!" Toga dragged him back, "You're gonna be eighteen soon, and you're gonna have to marry some mistress from another stuck-up family. You know what that means?"

"...what?"

"That means your freedom will be gone! And that's why you should let your inner beast come out and enjoy your youth as much as possible!"

Riku's eye twitched. He wondered if it was possible to erase any history of their friendship.

Before he could retort, he suddenly smelled a stabbing scent of smoke that interrupted the floral odor of the perfume and turned his head towards the direction of the smell.

Approaching them was an older woman whose face was painted with heavy makeup as her skimpy outfit wrapped around her well-endowed figure. The smoke was coming out of the long pipe that she held in her hand.

"My... Welcome back, Tabara-sama. Haven't seen you for a while," she greeted, swaying her hips as she walked towards them.

Toga flashed a toothy grin, "Been busy. I brought a friend this time."

Riku's face turned redder than before at the sight of the procuress's revealing dress. He quickly shielded his eyes slightly with his sleeve and bowed as a greeting. Toga raised an eyebrow at his immature friend.

The procuress chuckled and took another smoke, "I can tell you must be new. Don't worry, you'll love the girls we have here."

"Ah...right..." Riku uttered.

Toga patted his friend on the back and pulled out some coins from his sleeve, "Miss, two for Kokona-chan, please."

Riku widened his eyes and snapped his head towards the pear-eyed boy, "Wait, I didn't say I want to-"

"Shh..." Toga put a finger on his lips, "Trust me, Riku. You won't regret this. After all, you're sick of the work you have to do at home, right? Don't you want to relieve the stress with some tea and soothing music? If you hate it, I promise I won't drag you here again. Please?"

"I..." Riku pursed his lips, then sighed, "...fine. You better keep your promise." If his family found out, he will be stripped from the family history book for sure.

The procuress giggled while covering her mouth, then turned around and headed towards the stairs, "Come with me, then. It's rare for Kokona-chan to have time. She's one of our most popular girls here."

The boys were led to a room on the second floor. Riku glanced at the nametag on the wooden door. "Kokona Haruka", written in calligraphy.

_'Pretty name...'_  he thought.

The procuress pushed the door open and let the boys in. Riku looked around the room. It was a lot bigger than he thought. The red carpet extended across the room folding screens stood on the sides, and a small, round table and chairs were placed in the center. On the table sat a white china teapot and some teacups, ready for customers to use.

"Enjoy your stay~"

Toga excitedly dragged Riku to the table after the procuress closed the door behind them.

"Toga, I don't know about this..." said Riku worriedly.

"We're already here, Riku. You can't back out now."

"I..."

"Stop worrying already, now sit down."

Riku quietly obeyed.

In front of them, a silhouette of what seemed to be a girl stood up from behind the folding screens. Riku gulped and clenched his fists nervously as he watched the figure walking towards the edge of the screen.

"Welcome, misters..." a sweet, gentle voice greeted. Slowly, she revealed herself from the screens.

That was when Riku's breath was taken away.

The girl before him resembled a fairy maiden from above. Her amethyst eyes glimmered brighter than the sun, complementing her graceful hair that elegantly draped like a waterfall. Her dress blushed the softest pink, emitting a sense of precious innocence despite the place she's in. Her slim fingers lay gently on the strings of the lute in her arms, eager to play a sublime melody for them.

But what caught Riku's attention was the sadness that her eyes secreted. Behind her violet orbs were so many stories that Riku yearned to understand.

He felt his heart thump faster and faster, threatening to jump out, but he enjoyed the feeling. His face warmed up, and his irises shivered. It was only a moment, a very brief moment, but it felt as if the whole world stopped just for this moment.

"Kokona-chan!" Toga's voice broke through Riku's thoughts, "I can finally see you again! You are more beautiful than I remembered."

Bashfully, Kokona covered half of her face with the lute and blushed, "Thank you for your kind words, Tabara-sama." She glanced at the boy next to Toga, "And this is...?"

Riku's eyes widened, his heart racing, "Eh? Ah, I...oh, I-I mean...um..."

Snickering, Toga smirked and said, "What's this, Riku-sama? Never seen a pretty girl before?"

The color on Riku's face only deepened by his comment.

"...I'm...R-Riku...Riku Soma..."

Toga patted his shoulder proudly, "You can't say you haven't heard of the Soma family.

Kokona smiled, "Welcome, Soma-sama."

Riku felt his breath taken away again.

"Kokona-chan, play us a song. I missed your lute music," Toga requested and poured himself a cup of hot jasmine tea.

She bowed, "Then...please allow me to present my incompetence."

Kokona then sat down on a chair and shyly hugged the lute closer to herself. Her fingers traveled along the strings, and with a flick, she began to fill the room with an angelic melody.

Note by note, Riku's heart danced along to the song. His ears blocked out Toga's cheering next to him, only hearing the music. With each pluck, Riku tumbled deeper. Eventually, his eyes could only see himself and the girl in front of him.

Why do her eyes reflect such sadness? How could anyone tarnish such beauty?

He wanted to know.

Love really is a strange thing. Sometimes, it happens in an instant. Sometimes, it grows over time.

And for Riku, it happened in an instant.

 

* * *

 

After a long day of work, Aso finally came back from the town. When he opened the door to his hut, he saw his mother in the kitchen cooking. Aso quickly set down his shoulder pole and ran to her. 

 

 

"Ma, what are you doing? You must rest!" he said pulled the elderly woman away from the stove. His eyes widened when he saw red burn marks on her already-wrinkly hand. "Ma! You okay?!"

"I'm sorry, Aso..." she guiltily said, "I was trying to cook some rice for you. I know you must be so tired every day..."

Aso blew on her wound and grabbed a roll of bandages that was sitting on the counter. When he just started learning how to cook, he would often cut or burn himself clumsily, so he was commonly seen having bandaged hands. His mother begged him to let her cook, but he refused to let her sickly self work.

"I'm not tired," Aso wrapped bandages around her bony hand, "I like working. I get to go to the town and meet a bunch of people there."

"I'm really sorry, honey... It's all because of me... I'm such a burden..."

"Ma, we've been over this. I'm your son, I'm supposed to be taking care of my mother. Without you, Aso wouldn't have grown up to be so tall and strong, and not to mention, quite handsome~" Aso winked goofily, making his mother laugh and playfully smack him with her free hand.

Apart from burns, there were also thin scratches and scars on her fingertips. Aso furrowed his eyebrows at them and looked up at his mother.

"How'd you get these?" he asked with concern.

"I was very clumsy," she answered sheepishly, "Your body just doesn't coordinate well when you're so weak, y'know?"

Aso sighed, "You don't have to do anything in this house. Your son is enough." He ripped off the strip of the bandage after he finished wrapping his mother's hand.

"Alright, alright. My son is growing up so fast."

Aso glanced at the pot of cooking rice and pushed his mother towards their bedroom, "C'mon, you go rest, I'll make supper. 'Kay?"

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get burned-"

"I won't, I won't, now go to bed."

When they got to the bedroom, Aso saw a bright red piece of cloth and some needles on his mother's bed. His mother beamed and picked it up to show him.

"Oh! I wanted to show you this later, but I guess I forgot to hide it." She smiled widely like an excited child.

Aso took the cloth and unfolded it. His eyes were greeted by vibrant-colored peonies blooming below several soaring magpies soaring, all roughly-sewn on the cloth with some threads even poking out of the patterns. Looking closely, there were also some minute holes possibly ripped by needles around the peonies.

"My eyes are getting worse and worse, and my hands don't work like before," his mother said embarrassingly, "...but I really wanted to make you your wedding outfit by myself!"

Aso looked at his mother, speechless.

She pointed at the magpies, "I tried to sew some birds to put my hope into you. I want you to be able to fly freely, escaping from the deadly hands of this poverty. One day, you will rise to the top and become everyone's hero..."

Without letting her finish, Aso pulled her into a tight hug before she could see tears falling from his eyes. His hands clenched on the unfinished wedding outfit, creating wrinkles. The embroidery work was rough, but to Aso, it was more beautiful than any robes worn by the royalty.

"Oh dear, Aso, you're squeezing me," his mother patted his back and said.

Aso ignored and hugged her more, "Ma...being here with you...in the fields...is the most luxurious place in the whole world..."

She widened her eyes, then softened, and finally hugged him back, "I don't think...I'll be able to see you getting married..."

"Yes, you will! And you'll be able to hold your grandchildren...lots and lots of grandchildren!"

Aso's mother chuckled, then a drop of her tear landed on Aso's shoulder, "Then I'll be waiting~"

They stayed like this, in each other's arms, holding onto their only family's existence. A strong young man, Aso hadn't shed a tear for years, but now, he clung onto his mother like an infant, unable to suppress his sobbing anymore.

He swore that he will learn how to read, and he will make lots of money and cure his mother.

No matter what.

"...what's that smell?"

"What smell- OH SHOOT, I FORGOT ABOUT THE RICE!!"  

  

 

 

* * *

 

The setting sun illuminated gold into the sky. Ayano successfully snuck back into her bedroom after scoping out Mei Mio's neighborhood. After swiftly changing back into a flowery robe, she decided to meet her father and mother-in-law for the first time.  

 

 

This was perhaps the most bizarre wedding a girl could ever have. She never met her husband, nor did his family ever pay her family a visit. If her father heard about this, the Yamada's would be ruined.

She knocked on the door to the master's room and was greeted by a surprised Hanakō.

"Ayano-san...?"

Ayano smiled, "I came to see Mother and Father."

"Um..." Hanakō nervously glanced back at his parents, who became flustered after learning who the visitor is. From outside, Ayano could hear whispers of discussion before they told Hanakō to let her in.

Politely, Ayano approached her parents-in-law and knelt down, "Ayano Aishi is here to pay Father and Mother a visit."

Lady Yamada quickly stood up from her chair and helped her up, "Please, no need for such formality."

A maid pulled over a chair for Ayano to sit on.

"I apologize for not being here sooner. I wanted to visit earlier, but a maid informed me that you were busy..." she explained with a guilty expression.

Hanakō cringed inwardly. They were indeed busy...they were busy screaming and hitting his big brother.

Master Yamada shared a glance with his wife and coughed into his fist, "Worry not. We...we are sorry for putting you through such a messy situation. I would imagine that you were quite disappointed with the wedding..."

Ayano shook her head, keeping her smile, "I am not. Hanakō-kun has explained to me, and he was very polite."

The Yamada couple stiffened from the fact that she found out that it was Hanakō who attended the wedding instead of Taro. Lady Yamada turned her head towards him, who shivered in response.

Seeing this, Ayano quickly added, "Please do not blame Hanakō-kun. I recognized him before he could do anything."

Lady Yamada raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Really? How did you know?"

Her husband glared at her for the idiotic question.

Ayano simply answered, "They have different auras. I have heard that the second son of the Yamada's has a gentle and rather coy demeanor. From his careful uttering of words and hesitant gestures, I concluded that this must be him."

Master Yamada stroked his beard and nodded, "I must say, Aishi-san...you are very smart." He was quite impressed with her wit. It was obvious to anyone that Hanakō was sickly and frail, but instead of mentioning that, this girl chose words that were pleasant to the ears.

Lady Yamada gulped and carefully said, "I hope you can understand that this was in no way our intention... It's just...that unfilial son, I have no idea what has gone to his head! He was never like this before... But worry not, Aishi-san. We have already punished him. We will make sure he does not mistreat you."

"There's no need for that," Ayano retorted, "I hold no grudge. I know that Taro-san sticks strongly to his morals. As his wife, I shall support him no matter what, until he is willing to give up the past and look at me."

"Oh, my..." Lady Yamada covered her mouth, "We...we really do not deserve such a good girl like you, Aishi-san..."

Ayano stood up and bowed, "Please, call me Ayano, Mother. I am your daughter-in-law. My job is to support the family and my husband. I only wish for the best for this family."

Lady Yamada gratefully picked up both of her hands and pulled them close to her chest, "Thank you so much for your kindness, Ayano. The Yamada family welcomes you with open arms."

Master Yamada also stood up, "That little rascal must've saved the world for his past three lives to be as lucky as now, having you as his wife. We appreciate you, Ayano, and we hope to get to know you more in the future."

Hanakō smiled at Ayano gratefully from behind his father.

The sky was getting darker, signaling to Ayano that she should prepare for the night. With a bow, she parted from Master and Lady Yamada to return to her place. After she was out of sight, Lady Yamada sighed in relief.

"It's a good thing she does not mind it, My Lord."

Master Yamada lowered his eyelids, "Indeed...she is a smart one. A little too smart."

 

* * *

 

When Ayano finally returned to her room, the sky was a deep shade of indigo. Midori waved excitedly when she saw her mistress back and escorted her inside.

"I haven't seen you all day, Mistress! I was worried!"

Ayano chuckled, "The second young master showed me around the residence. It took a long time. Then I met the master and the lady. I wanted to be in their good light."

Midori was dismissed for the day, leaving Kuu to assist in Ayano's night routine. Before Kuu could remove her makeup and hair accessories, there was a knock on the door. Kuu put down a removed hairpin on the desk and opened the door.

"Hanakō-sama...?" Kuu was confused about why he would visit her mistress at such a late time.

Ayano came to the door to greet him, "May I help you, Hanakō-kun?"

Hanakō blushed and scratched his head, "Oh, um...it...it's probably a bad idea to come this late, isn't it?"

"It's okay. Do you need anything?"

"Well..." Hanakō rocked back and forth on his feet and fidgeted with his sleeves, "I just wanted to say...thank you."

Ayano tilted her head, "Thank me? For what?"

"For making my parents happy... They were nervous about seeing you because of my brother. You really helped us out by greeting them first. I believe that they like you a lot."

Kuu saw that the conversation will be longer than she thought and backed down from sight.

Ayano smiled and patted Hanakō's shoulder, "It's what I should do. I don't want to be the reason your family splits."

Hanakō sighed, "My brother has been locked up... Father was furious with him. But despite so, he was still acting stubborn. I don't even know what to do with him anymore..."

"You need not do anything," Ayano said, "Your brother is an adult. He will soon learn that he needs to move on. You just have to give him time."

"But that would be disrespectful! A man shouldn't be ghosting his wife like this. Not only does it put our name at risk, but it's also ignoring your feelings!"

"I desire a wedding that involves feelings. I respect Taro-san's decision. I hope for the day that he opens up, and we can understand each other and become true husband-and-wife. Right now, I am willing to wait for him."

"..."

Hanakō slowly nodded. He didn't say anything else and bore himself into Ayano's eyes. This kind-hearted maiden did not throw any blame at his family, and she even offered her support and understanding. This kind of girl...how can she be real? How can anyone be so forgiving as her?

...how can Taro be so lucky?

"Mistress," Kuu called from inside, "It's bedtime."

Hanakō snapped out of his thoughts and blushed, "Oh, s-sorry! I must be interrupting you. I will leave now!"

Ayano raised an eyebrow and smirked cunningly, "What are you embarrassed for, Hanakō-kun? You've visited me later than this..."

The blush on his face immediately flushed to crimson, "A-Ayano-san, don't joke like that! Jeez...I'm leaving!"

Ayano laughed as the younger boy pouted and walked away, then she reverted back to her deadpan expression. Just now...Hanakō Yamada lost his composure. She definitely got closer to him, but perhaps not the way she planned. But this just might make things a little easier.

What a fragile boy.

Ayano allowed Kuu to wash off her makeup and dress her in her sleeping gown. Then she pretended to yawn and fall asleep in her bed. Kuu blew out the candles and went to the servants' room.

She stayed silent for another thirty minutes before her eyelids deliberately fluttered open, revealing a pair of onyx eyes ready to see bloodshed. 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Thank you for walking me home, Koharu-chan," Mei Mio said when they arrived at her house.

Koharu laughed, "Don't mention it, we're best friends, this shouldn't be a big deal."

Mei's eyes filled with concern, "What about you? It's dangerous at night, you know? Especially with the frequent cases of murders going on..."

Koharu stiffened for a brief second before shrugging it off, "No worries! I'll be fine. I doubt anyone would resent me for anything. Mei-chan, however..." She creepily grinned and made claws with her hands, "You might not be so safe... You're pretty, smart, talented, likable..."

Giggling, Mei gently pushed Koharu, "Stop it, Koharu-chan! Don't joke about that!"

"Am I wrong, though? You're like the perfect girl! Everyone likes you, even...even Odayaka-san..." Koharu's eyes dimmed, but the sapphire-haired girl did not notice.

Mei's face tinted pink, "Stop joking, Odayaka-san doesn't see me like that...! B-besides...he's nice to everybody... I'm not good enough for him..." She forced a sad smile and rubbed her arm.

"He helped you from that fat, rich guy today! He was obviously worried about you!"

"That's only because he's the manager, and he likes to help people in general..."

"..." Koharu humphed and smacked both sides of Mei's face lightly, "Stop wimping! You'll get wrinkles if you keep it up! You're a great girl. I think Odayaka-san would like you. And...maybe...maybe you should confess to him!"

"Y-you think I should?" Mei widened her eyes and rubbed her cheeks.

Koharu nodded enthusiastically, "You should. You two are the perfect match! You're both gentle and smart, and you can have a husband that cooks super well! There's nothing to lose."

"I..." taking a deep breath, Mei smiled, "Okay. I will listen to you, Koharu-chan. I will tell him how I feel tomorrow!"

"That's what I'm talking about, future Lady Odayaka!"

The two girls laughed for a while before settling down. Mei wiped a tear from laughing and gave Koharu a hug.

"Thank you, Koharu-chan. I'll see you tomorrow at work." She turned around and headed towards her house's door.

"Ah, Mei..." the green-haired girl reached out an arm but stopped herself from going further.

Mei looked at her questioningly.

Koharu pursed her lips nervously, hesitating on what to say, before shaking her head, "N-nothing. Um...see you...tomorrow!"

She ran off to her house's direction, leaving behind a confused Mei. The blue-haired girl raised an eyebrow at her friend's strange behavior before going inside her home.

Koharu's words replayed in Mei's head. She giggled excitedly as she changed into her pajamas. The thought of pouring out her feelings to the boy she admired for so long was overwhelming.

He was so kind and warm, and he ignored society's rules and allowed girls to work in his restaurant. He provided her both financial and emotional support at her lowest point, and he did not scold her for any mistakes she made.

So many other girls like him, too, but none of them made a move or was accepted. Mei sighed and patted her racing heart. She was always one of the best workers, efficient and smart. Amao had complimented her a lot, and each time, she felt butterflies in her stomach.

She didn't know what she would do if he rejected her. Will it become awkward? Will he avoid her? The thought of that was scary, but Mei assured herself that Amao is not that kind of person.

"Tomorrow..." she encouraged herself and let down her hair that was tied up in a bun the entire day.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she suddenly felt a chill down her spine and the air turn cold. Something freezing touched her throat, and her face lost color while her body petrified like a stone.

With a swift drag, the cold blade slashed through Mei's neck, cutting off her chance to scream. Blood spewed out and splattered all over her bed. Her throat made struggling noises before her eyes rolled up and her body collapsed to the floor.

Emotionlessly, Ayano wiped the girl's blood from her face with the back of her hand and stared at the body. There was no sense of fear or regret inside her. She was not at all fazed by her erasure of this girl's life.

Her tomorrow will never arrive.

_'Mission complete.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took a while, this was a boring chapter to write because there weren't any "exciting" things happening. it's mainly to set up relationships and characterizations.
> 
> note: "Golden Lotus" is the English translation of the first name of a famous Chinese literary character and also a real historical figure, Jinlian Pan (潘金莲）, notorious for her cruelty and lewd behavior. She can arguably be considered a "sex symbol" (?), which is why I referenced her in the name of the brothel.
> 
> P.S. in ancient China, there are two types of brothels, one is called a "green building" (青楼) and one is called a "red building" (红楼). a green building is the more "high-class" one, and the girls don't (usually) sleep with customers. they perform arts like music, dance, etc., which is what Golden Lotus is. a red building is the "low-class" one, where girls sell their bodies. pretty cool.
> 
> really sorry for the annoying notes, I just had to clarify some stuff so you guys can understand the story better


	6. Rainfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rainy week brings Ayano and Osano together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all, my friend BelleAmant (an amazing writer btw) made a Discord server for you fellow Yandere Sim fans, so hop on if you wanna chat with a bunch of tired writers/artists
> 
> https://discord.gg/Cz83rS

_Drip. Drip. Drip._  
  
Ayano's eyelids slowly fluttered open at the sound of water droplets gently beating the ground. From underneath the roof of the pavilion, she could see the morning sky fading to gray and covered by thick clouds. Despite so, the beauty of the garden was not erased.  
  
She lowered head and touched the strings of her zither. It felt cold after she stopped playing it for her short nap. Her fingers traced along the strings as if trying to find any sense of lingering warmth. There was none.  
  
The rain began to pour harder. Ayano watched the jade green nature and the kaleidoscopic flowers around her being drenched. She wondered if it was God crying for the innocent lives she took.  
  
Her fingers pulled a string on the zither, then picked another, and soon both of her hands danced upon the instrument again. Each pluck produced a pleasant tone. In the background, the tattering of raindrops created an immaculate companion for the melody.  
  
It's only times like these when she felt like she was alone. Her voice reached no ear, and the only response she would get is silence. The more she played, the less motivation remained. The movement of her hands reflected her decreasing interest to continue.  
  
It was always like this. She would play a piece, but she would quickly dislike the sounds. The music was...empty. Something was missing. She was only playing with skills and not with her heart. Every note was hollow. Ayano didn't know how to fill those notes with passion.  
  
She forced herself to play until she reached the last note of the piece, then she rested her lifeless hands on top of the strings and sighed.  
  
"For what reason are you sighing for, Ayano-san?"  
  
Ayano turned her head towards the familiar voice.  
  
Hanakō Yamada stood in the rain with an umbrella in his hand, smiling at her. He joined her under the pavilion roof and set the umbrella aside.  
  
"You shouldn't be out here in the rain, Hanakō-kun," Ayano said. "You might get sick."  
  
"I couldn't find you anywhere. Midori informed me that you were in the garden, so I came to get you."  
  
Ayano nodded and stood up, feeling a twinge of numbness in her legs from kneeling for so long, "Then...let's go."  
  
Hanakō glanced at the instrument, "That piece just now... Do you know it?"  
  
"That was just a song I made up a long time ago."  
  
Hanakō's curious eyes widened, "You...made it?"  
  
"Mhm. What's wrong?"  
  
"I..." Hanakō scratched his head, "That's strange. I thought it sounded familiar. I think I've heard Big Brother play it before..."  
  
Now it's Ayano's turn to widen her eyes, "Tarō-san? How could he know? I've never played this piece to others before."  
  
"Maybe it's my imagination..." the younger Yamada brother muttered. He paused and smiled somberly, "You know, Ayano-san, Big Brother also likes playing the zither. Especially when he returns from school a couple of years ago, he would automatically come here and play this zither."  
  
Ayano glanced at the instrument.  
  
"He's a huge loner," Hanakō continued, "Not only playing music, but he also loves to read books. Every day, you can find him hiding somewhere with his head buried in a book. I would have to beg him to spend time with me to get him to stop reading."  
  
"Tarō-san seems very studious," Ayano commented.  
  
"Yeah..." Hanakō chuckled, but the sadness in his eyes betrayed him, "Big Brother is smart and studious. Unlike me... I'm weak, dumb, and too playful. It's no wonder why Father and Mother put all their hopes in him..."  
  
Ayano stared at his profile without saying anything. It was hard to imagine that a child of a high-status family like the Yamada's would hold so many insecurities. He loved his big brother, and he admired him, but in the long term, that admiration would also leak hints of envy and bitterness. Even though they have the same blood inside them, Tarō was always the favorite.  
  
A girl like her would never understand the cruel battles between brothers in rich households, fighting for inheritance and recognition. She wondered if one day, the innocent boy standing before her would also be tainted by the selfish society.  
  
Ayano grabbed Hanakō's soft cheek and squeezed, causing him to snap out of his pessimism, "Silly boy. There's nothing wrong with being weak or playful. You are full of life, Hanakō-kun, you have the biggest heart I've ever seen."  
  
"Euh...A-Ayano-san, my face...!" Hanakō patted Ayano's hand repeatedly until she finally let go.  
  
Chuckling, Ayano poked his nose and said, "Stop thinking so little of yourself. Let me tell you, this world is created to maintain a balance. When you are gifted, you will also carry flaws. Sometimes, those that are superior amongst all will have the most burdens. And you, Hanakō-kun, are born with a slightly weaker body because you carry so much potential inside you."  
  
Hanakō blinked and rubbed his nose, "Y-you think so...?"  
  
"Of course," Ayano picked up his umbrella and stepped into the rain, "Your willingness to interact with others, your strong attachment to your brother, and your constant radiation of happiness all show me that you are full of hope. So... don't speak so low of yourself. You were the one that welcomed me into this family, after all."  
  
She turned around to look at him in the eyes with a smile.  
  
A spark of light ignited inside Hanakō's eyes. He never expected an outsider like Ayano to accept him the way he is, and he never knew how much her words could warm him up.  
  
Right now, the girl in front of him looked beautiful. Under the rain, she was like a fire that never stops burning. Her smile, her affection, everything she did to him showed selflessness.  
  
Deep down, he was glad he could be the first one to see her.  
  
His face warmed up as the corners of his mouth stretched into a wholehearted smile, "I'm so honored to be the one that welcomed you into this family, Ayano-san!"  
  
He quickly ran to her side and held the umbrella for both of them as they walked back to the main lobby.  
  


-{}-  


  
After the rain stopped, Ayano decided to pay a visit to the Haruka's jewelry shop. The wind chime cheerfully greeted her as she opened the door. When she stepped in the tiny but homey store, she saw a girl showing accessories to a customer with a polite smile.

Ayano pretended to look around like other customers while keeping an eye out on that girl. After the customer left, she walked up to the counter.

"Welcome, dear customer!" the girl chirped, "How may I help you?"

"Hmm..." Ayano feigned a ponder, "Would you please show me your newest collection of hairpins?"

"Of course!" the girl turned around and pulled out a drawer, then took out a tray of shimmering hair accessories. "This is our latest collection. It's to welcome the new spring season. They are flowery but light, and they're not too busy for the eye!"

Ayano scanned the tray and randomly picked one up. It was petite and decorated by white peach blossoms and a string of white pearls dangling on the end. The shopkeeper girl beamed at her choice.

"That one is perhaps my favorite!" she said, "You have a good eye, Miss!"

Ayano smiled, "It is very pretty. May I look for some more?"

"Of course you can!"

Just as Ayano pretended to search for another hairpin, she heard the wind chime's ringing again and glanced at the doorway. A familiar face walked in along with a stranger dressed less fashionably, perhaps his servant.

"Oh, Ayumi?" Osano Najimi's eyebrows elevated at the sight of the raven-haired girl, "What brings you here?"

Ayano bowed as a greeting, "Good morrow, Najimi-sama. I'm here to...buy some new jewelry for Lady Yamada."

Osano nodded and waved at the shopkeeper girl, "Haruka, I'm here for the new stock."

"Here it is, Najimi-sama~"

Ayano watched her pull out another tray. Her guess was right, she was indeed Kokona Haruka. She remembered Hanakō saying that the Najimi's and the Haruka's were business partners, therefore she shouldn't be surprised to see Osano here.

Osano's servant packaged the stock up and carefully carried it in his arms.

Kokona Haruka shyly lowered her head and darted her eyes from side to side, "So, um...Najimi-sama... How has Yamada-sama been lately? I haven't heard from him."

Ayano's ears perked up at the mention of Tarō.

"Not much," Osano replied, "I haven't seen him either." Knowing how infatuated with Taro this girl is, Osano did not mention the fact that he recently just married someone else.

"Oh..." the disappointment in Kokona's voice was noticeable.

Osano pursed his lips and added, "Don't worry, he's...probably just busy. With the war going on, all of the Emperor's advisors had been restless. He'll be free soon, hopefully."

Kokona nodded, "I hope he doesn't overwork himself."

After Osano bid farewell, Ayano followed him as he left the shop. Osano saw her and waved off his servant, telling him to go home by himself.

"Ayumi, wait," Osano stopped Ayano before she could turn away, "I'll go with you. I wanna visit Aunt and Uncle."

"They might be busy, though," Ayano said.

Osano shrugged, "I can just play with Hanakō, then. Either way, I don't want to go back right now."

Ayano chuckled, "Very well, let's go."

On their way to the Yamada residence, a small crowd gathered around a stand in the middle of the street. A sign next to the stand stated that the items' prices were all halved. Ayano stood on her toes to glance over the competitive crowd and see what was being sold.

Cheap toys, jewelry, clothing, and more were being snatched one-by-one. Having rarely come outside in daylight, Ayano's curiosity took over and urged her to walk towards the stand. Osano simply followed with his arms crossed.

"You like this kind of stuff?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Ayano stuck out her tongue playfully, "I haven't been outside much, this is the first time I've seen such a thing."

Surprisingly, Osano didn't scold her and patiently waited for her to look around the items. Ayano was taken aback. Did he not yell at her because he thought she was Tarō's servant? Or does he just not care?

"Better hurry up," Osano said, "there are too many people."

Ayano's attention was caught by a box of colorful scarves and grabbed a pink one. She turned around and wrapped it around Osano's neck, shocking him.

"Wha...what's this?" Osano widened his eyes at her sudden action.

Ayano giggled amusingly, "It fits you!"

"Fits me?" Osano's face reddened, "But...this is pink!"

"Yeah! Najimi-sama looks great in pink!"

"I-I'm a man!! How can a man wear pink?!" Irritated, Osano took the scarf off immediately, his face darkening in color at the sound of Ayano's laugh.

To make it worse, an older man, the owner of the stand, walked towards them with a smile smoothed his tail-like goatee, "Oh, great choice, sir! Is this for your little lover here?" He looked at them with gossiping eyes.

Osano's face became scarlet, "I-... SH-SHE'S NOT MY LOVER! Ugh...whatever, I'm leaving!" Grunting, he threw the pink scarf back in its original box and stormed off, startling the man with his extreme reaction.

Ayano awkwardly eyed the man with an apologetic expression and chased after the embarrassed orange-haired boy.

"Najimi-sama," she called and finally caught up, "are you angry at me?"

Osano humphed and turned his head away.

Ayano giggled, frustrating him more.

"W-what's so funny, huh?!" he exploded.

"You remind Ayumi of a cat, Najimi-sama."

"Huh?"

"You always seem calm, but once you're angry, you lash out like crazy."

"You...presumptuous servant! S-stop laughing!"

"Hehe~"

Once again, he stopped talking to her and looked away with resentment. Ayano could only oblige and walk back home in silence, occasionally letting out a chuckle just to annoy him.

-{}-  


  
"Your Majesty, you called for my presence?" Prime Minister Saikou greeted as he entered Emperor Kocho's room.

There he was, cowardly and timid, sitting on a couch with teacups and a teapot on the table. He saw the silver-haired man in the corner of his eye and motioned him to come forth. Saikou obeyed and sat on the other seat.

"Saikou-sama..." Kocho began, his voice emitting his exhaustion, "You've been with me for almost three decades now..."

Saikou lowered his head in agreement, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Kocho sighed, "Time really flies by quick, huh? I've watched you grow since you were only sixteen. All these years...your family has done so much for us."

"'Tis all for the sake of the empire, Your Majesty."

"And you've certainly helped it grow. Your father was a genius, you, and now your son Megamo. I thank the Lord every day for sending you to my side."

"You are flattering us, Your Majesty. We were merely serving the throne."

Kocho chuckled. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Saikou, who carefully took it from his hands.

"Don't burn your hands, I could get it myself," he said.

Kocho waved his hand and shook his head, "You and I have been together for so long. When out of the public's eye, there need not much formality."

Something flashed in Saikou's eyes in an instant before he shrugged it off, "That cannot be. Your Majesty is the Emperor, the son of heaven. I am merely your courtier. I shan't address you on the same level."

Inside, he knew this was a test. Had he shown a slight hint of hesitation, he would've fallen in deep trouble.

Saikou gently blew on his steaming tea and brought the cup to his lips, then he lifted his head and sipped it all in.

If the room was any quieter, the sound of the Emperor's racing heartbeat would be deafening.

"Anyways..." Kocho took a sip of his own cup of tea, "I did not call you here for a formal chat. I wanted to ask your opinion regarding the situation with Commander Sunobu."

Prime Minister Saikou's eyebrows furrowed at the name. "Sunobu-sama has always been one of our best military commanders. Has he done anything to upset you?"

"Hmph," Kocho huffed and tossed a handful of bamboo slips onto the table, "Not me, but everyone else. Ever since he crushed the uprising of the eastern tribes, he adopted a smug and snobby attitude. I've been receiving countless memorials from officials that directed hostility towards him."

Saikou picked up a slip and unrolled it. After skimming through, he picked up another. Indeed, written on the slips were all complaints about Sunobu's arrogance and abuse of power. His growth in power caused resentment from other officials, all willing to watch him fall. Most of the memorials on the table were submitted recently after Sunobu followed Megamo to the war in the north.

"I was even planning to promote him after Megamo receives victory with the Delinquents. But now...I have a dilemma," Kocho rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"..." Saikou rolled the slips up neatly and placed it back on the table, "I say you still promote him, Your Majesty, to a Duke of the First Class."

Kocho widened his eyes, "Why? Do you not see the tension between these courtiers because of him?"

"I do," Saikou calmly said, "and that is exactly why you should promote him."

"Oh? Please elaborate."

"Your Majesty, you may think that he is a burden because of the other officials' reaction to his growth. However, Sunobu-sama has not shown a single sign of treason. For this empire to grow, you would need more loyal and strong courtiers like him."

Kocho's eyebrows furrowed, "You're saying..."

Saikou nodded, "The arousal of hatred and jealousy around him can serve as motivation for others to work harder to impress you. If they are willing to earn your praise, then they will try to surpass Commander Sunobu."

As if understanding, Kocho nodded.

"That way, if anyone does surpass him, you will have more skillful officials. If not, you will still have a grasp on Sunobu's loyalty. This will only benefit you."

Kocho roared in laughter and clapped, "Good thinking, Saikou-sama, good thinking. I can always rely on you. Never once have you let me down. Your family really does have the smartest of them all."

 _'So smart that I must eliminate you...'_

Saikou lowered his head, "You flatter me, Your Majesty."

"Say...how is your father?" Kocho carefully asked.

"...old." Saikou shook his head, "Old but more stubborn than a mule."

"Your father has played a huge role in my battle to obtain this throne... The empire couldn't have been like this without him."

"He is almost a century old, but he refuses to let go. Every day, he sits in his wheelchair in our backyard, staring off into the distance, not wanting any company."

"Good people live a long life. God favors your father."

The prime minister nodded.

Kocho smirked subtly and pretended to take another casual sip of his tea, "I wonder...if he'd feel better if he sees his daughter again. Thirty years without a single contact is truly suffocating for a father..."

The mention of that person caused Saikou to nearly break composure. His hands that were thankfully hidden in his sleeves slowly balled up into fists to control himself.

Without responding, he stood up and bowed slightly to bid farewell, "If Your Majesty does not have any other requests for me, I shall depart now."

"Of course. You may leave now," Kocho faked a smile as the silver-haired man walked towards the door.

Before stepping out, Saikou turned around, his expression as calm and indifferent as always, and said, "By the way... Your Majesty, before I came here, I already took an antidote. Thank you for the tea."

Kocho's eyes widened and heart stopped.

Saikou's mouth cracked into a slightly curved shape to resemble a grin before he left the room.

-{}-  


  
Inside the deepest part of Golden Lotus, a voice of the heavens sang freely like an angel, isolated in a huge room, embraced by the sweet fragrance of incense.

 _"Moonrise, the actor decorates his face._

 _Opera costume I wear, eyebrows I trace._

 _Sleeve dance, sing slowly like the aroma of wine_

 _Sing slowly like the aroma of wine..."  
_

A knock on the door interrupted the enticing melody and ruined the angel's mood. With an annoyed humph, the singer allowed the unwanted person to come in.

The door opened, and the visiting girl stepped in and knelt down on both knees as a greeting, "Kizano-sama..."

With a roll in the eyes, Kizano impatiently responded, "What is it, Tokuko?"

Tokuko gulped, "Um...it's about...your father, Master Sunobu..."

"And what could that old man want now?"

"He...he wants you to..."

-{}-  


     

 _'Passed the vastest of seas, no other waters impress;_

 _Viewed the majestic Mount Wu, no other clouds will please._

 _Crossed an ocean of flowers and none could win a peer_

 _For my love is half for the Dao and half for my dear'_  


Ayano recited this poem by Yuan Zhen over and over in her head as she pulled the thread through the pink cloth in her hand. She flinched when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her finger and lifted her hand. A drop of blood leaked out of her wound and threatened to taint her work.

 _'I should've practiced sewing more...'_  she thought to herself and wiped the blood off with her handkerchief.

With a pair of scissors, Ayano cut off the thread and secured the knot. A couple of days passed since her last mission, giving her plenty of time to adapt to the Yamada residence and win the liking of the members. Despite so, she couldn't catch a sign of Tarō Yamada's presence.

At one point, she considered barging into his room and eliminate him on the spot, but with her being the only foreigner in the household, she would be taking a risk greater than imaginable.

Ayano stood up and tossed the piece of cloth on her bed. If she can't attack directly, she could only use tactics to lure the target out. The first and foremost thing to do is appeal to him and make him forget about Uekiya Engeika.

It's not like Ayano hasn't seduced anyone before, but Tarō Yamada wasn't one to develop lust easily. She would have to gather more information on him to understand the boy better.

What a drag.

She swiftly changed into her plain, dandelion robe and headed out of the gates. Last time Midori caught her walking back in with Osano and nagged her for a long time about how she shouldn't be going out so casually without a servant beside her. Not wanting to go through that again, she wanted to make this trip as quick as possible.

  
As expected, Ayano saw Osano walk out of the Haruka's jewelry shop, but this time instead of a servant following him, it was a girl. She had short, apricot hair and a petite figure. Definitely on the cute side in Ayano's opinion.

Was she his lover or something? That sounded unlikely, considering the conversation Osano had with Hanakō that day in the garden when Ayano first met him.

She watched the girl wave goodbye to Osano and leave, and Osano left in another direction.

Taking a deep breath, Ayano put on her best smile and silently approached him from behind. When he didn't detect anything, she stood on her toes and covered his eyes.

"Guess who I am~," she said in a mischievous voice.

"Gah...! A-Ayumi?!" Osano pushed her hands away and turned around with a startled expression.

Ayano giggle cutely, "You recognized me immediately, Najimi-sama!"

Blushing, Osano angrily scolded, "P-presumptuous! A servant shouldn't act like that with a master!"

"Aww..." Ayano pouted and lowered her head, "Ayumi thought...Najimi-sama and Ayumi are close enough to put aside some rules..."

"...you..." her reaction made Osano swallow his anger unwillingly. He sighed and waved it off, "Whatever... Just... don't do it in front of others. I-I'm only making it an exception because I'm familiar with you. Don't get any idea, okay?"

"Hehe~" Ayano smiled cheekily, "Ayumi will obey Najimi-sama's orders!"

Osano's face heated up at this strange girl's mood swing. He coughed into his fist to clear his throat and changed the subject.

"So...are you running errands again?

"Yup! The new mistress wanted to practice embroidery, so she asked me to buy some needles and fabric."

"Oh," Osano paused, "Speaking of, I've never seen the new mistress. Actually, ever since a few weeks before Tarō's wedding, I haven't seen him, either. Did this idiot just forget about his childhood friend and replaced me with a woman?"

If Ayano was not herself, she would be hollering in laughter. Not only did Osano not see his childhood friend, but she also didn't, either. Did he really decide to shut himself out from the rest of the world? All because of a wedding? How ridiculous.

"No, of course not," Ayano said, "First Young Master is just very busy. He would eventually have time to see you again."

"Tch, he better...not that I really care or anything," Osano crossed his arms. His eyes were caught by the sight of bandages on Ayano's finger. In a concerned tone, he asked, "What's wrong with your hand?"

"Huh?" Ayano looked her wounded hand, "Oh, nothing. I was sewing something and accidentally poked myself. I'm really clumsy, aren't I?" She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

Osano furrowed his eyebrows, "Does it hurt?"

"Not really, not anymore."

"Jeez...you should be more careful. I've never seen a maid more airheaded than you...not that I'm worried or whatever."

Ayano blinked and looked up at him curiously. The orange-haired young master noticed her intense stare and squirmed in discomfort.

"What...? Is...is there something on my face?" he reached up and rubbed his refined face. Ayano knew he was good-looking, but at a closer angle, he was prettier than she remembered. He had large, almond-shaped eyes in a brilliant shade of amber, clear as sunlight. His fair skin appeared softer than any girl Ayano had met, with a hint of youthful red puffing out of his cheeks.

It was no surprise that she'd often see girls and even boys on the streets catching a glimpse of him. If she could feel attraction, she'd look, too.

After staring at him for a little longer, she finally said, "Najimi-sama...why are you always dishonest with yourself?"

"...huh?" That wasn't what Osano expected her to say.

"Even though I've only met you three times, I've noticed that you hate admitting your caring for other people."

Osano fell into silence.

Ayano cocked her head, "Is there a reason why you are so awkward with showing affection?"

"I..." Osano turned his head away, "I'm just not an affectionate person, is that wrong?"

"No, but..." Ayano rocked on her feet and put her hands behind her back, "Najimi-sama, I can tell that you are affectionate deep down, but you are afraid to express it."

"......"

"Is it because you are scared of being made fun of? Or is it...something else?"

Irritated, Osano snapped, "Why do you think you know me? We've only met three times, we are not friends or anything. I am a master, and you are a maid! You shouldn't be invading a master's personal space!"

However, Ayano did not faze and calmly retorted, "I know you don't care about that, Najimi-sama."

"......"

"You're insecure about something, so you push people away. Is this a way to protect yourself from being hurt? Do you not trust others?"

Osano scoffed, "As if people are worth trusting. You are a maid who hasn't seen the world, yet. I'm the son of a merchant. We are constantly looked down upon and cheated. You have no idea how terrible people can be."

Ayano didn't reply immediately. She knew too well how dark the world is. She was part of the darkness, after all, and her master made an immense amount of wealth off this darkness.

Power, ambition, and money. These drove envious people to spend fortunes on taking away each other's lives. Info-sama already became familiar with this system and cleverly made it work in his advantage.

This boy did the right thing to conceal himself. Perhaps pretending to not exist was the best way to exist. But sometimes...it's comforting to have someone to trust. In Ayano's case, she entrusted her master with her whole life.

"Well..." Ayano lowered her head and allowed her bangs to cover her eyes, "I don't think that's completely true..."

Osano furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Ayano continued, "I think...shielding everyone away from you is what truly makes you lost. Sure, there are monsters in the world hiding in human skin, but there is also a spark of genuine kindness."

"Yeah, right..." Osano smiled bitterly, "There might be, but I don't want to go through trial-and-error to search for that kindness. It's better to appear tough in this dog-eat-dog world. That way, no one will mess with you."

"Then...is Tarō-sama also a dog?"

"He..." Osano trailed off.

"Najimi-sama and Tarō-sama are childhood friends and had been by each other's side for so long. Is he...also blocked out?"

"......"

"You were always the one to sneak into our backyard to find him. That shows that you truly like spending time with him, does it not? So then...what makes him not trustworthy?"

Osano opened his mouth only to have nothing come out. He closed it, then opened again, struggling to find his speech.

Ayano smiled, "Having someone in your life feels amazing, doesn't it? Tarō-sama must be a great person for you to like him so much."

"..." finally, Osano's mouth slowly curved into a smile as he thought about the times he spent with his best friend, "Yeah...I guess...that idiot isn't so bad, after all."

And perhaps...this weird girl in front of him wasn't bad, either.

Yet the atmosphere was immediately ruined by a sudden roar of thunder in the sky. Osano and Ayano glanced up at the sky at the same time and saw the color change from light azure to gray before their eyes.

A frigid drop of water landed on Ayano's nose, followed by another, and soon, it developed into a full rain.

Everyone strolling around the streets complained about the inconvenient weather and ran away to find a shelter. Others with a stand picked up everything and pushed their carts away. Farmers quickly put the unsold cash crops back in baskets and carried them on a shoulder pole to head home.

Seeing everyone leaving, Ayano bowed to Osano and said, "Maybe we should go home now. The storm doesn't seem like it'd stop any time soon."

"Wait..." Osano put a hand on her shoulder before she fully turned away, "...um...I'll, uh...I'll walk you back."

"...eh?" Ayano widened her eyes in surprise, "You really shouldn't, Najimi-sama! Ayumi can make it back easily, it's not far from here!"

"Stop dallying and go, I'm soaking!"

"O-okay...!"

They ran in the direction of the Yamada residence with their hands above their heads to prevent rain from wetting their face with futile effort.

Osano bit his bottom lip nervously and slowed down a bit so he was running right next to Ayano. He then hovered his arm above Ayano's head, attempting to cover her from the rain with his long and wide sleeve.

Ayano was taken aback and looked at Osano, who avoided her gaze and kept his eyes straight forward. His cheeks were noticeably pink.

Soon enough, they returned to the backyard of the Yamada's land and stood under the extended edges of the wall.

"I didn't expect it to rain so hard," Ayano said and shook her head rid her hair of the rainwater.

"This was the second time it rained this week," Osano commented while squeezing water out of his long ponytail.

Ayano laughed light-heartedly and bowed to Osano, "Thank you for escorting me back, Najimi-sama. You really didn't have to. Let's go inside."

Osano waved his hand, "No, I'm not going in today. I should really go home. I have to meet another important customer. Also...you didn't get to buy your mistress's embroidery supplies, right? I can bring some."

"No, there's no need."

"Huh?"

Ayano winked playfully, "That was a lie, the mistress didn't tell me to get anything. I actually snuck out to see Najimi-sama."

"Wha-..." Osano's eyes widened as his face turned red. Figuring she was messing with him again, he stiffly turned around and said, "...I-I'm leaving now!"

He tried to ignore her annoying giggles as he began to walk away. Something suddenly popped up in Ayano's mind, and she quickly grabbed his arm before he could go far.

"Wait! Najimi-sama, I have something for you!" she said and ran inside to get it.

Osano raised an eyebrow and waited patiently for her to come back. After a few minutes, she returned while holding something that seemed to be a scarf.

Ayano skidded to a stop right before she bumped into him and wrapped the scarf around Osano's neck, surprising him. He lifted a tail of the scarf and glanced at it. It was salmon pink with white polka dots.

If he was being honest, it wasn't the most well-made scarf. Some parts of the fabric were not woven neatly, and the design was overall amateurish and frankly unappealing. However, for some reason, he didn't mind.

"This is...?"

Giggling, Ayano simply said, "It fits you!"

Without him answering, she spun around and ran back inside, disappearing from sight. Osano stood in place, still as a statue, before returning to realizing. His heart was beating faster than normal, but it was...pleasant.

He turned around and haltingly walked away from the Yamada residence, cherishing this unfamiliar feeling. Despite being drenched in the cold shower of the monotone clouds, he felt warm. Both on his neck and inside his chest.

Slowly, he lifted the neck of the scarf and covered the bottom half of his face, his cheeks tinting in a bashful shade of cherry blossoms.

"Pink...what the hell..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well I finished this faster than I thought, probably because I like writing fluff.
> 
> -the song was my rough translation of Li Yugang's "Guo Se Tian Xiang"（国色天香）  
> -the poem was my rough translation of the fourth out of five poem in the "Thoughts of Separation"（离思）series by Yuan Zhen


	7. Curious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is this strange feeling that Osano gets when he's with Ayano?

"How has your progress been with the Yamada's?" the crimson-haired man asked, his fox-like grin plastered on his pale face as usual.  
  
Ayano lowered her head, "I have built a strong bond with the younger brother, and the master and lady have taken a liking to me. But Tarō Yamada..."  
  
"Still didn't see him?"  
  
"He offended his father, so he is now locked up in his room. Should I just sneak in at night and get rid of him as soon as possible?"  
  
Info-sama shook his head, "That won't do at all. It would be...too much of a hassle to clean up. I prefer as little trouble as possible."  
  
Ayano nodded, "Master is right."  
  
Her blind master pulled out another slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it to her. Ayano unfolded the slip to see the name.  
  
 _Borupen Saishiki._  
  
"I've heard of this person," Ayano said. "He's an artist. I've seen some of his work. Some of them were banned because of how dark the themes were."  
  
"Correct," Info-sama held his hands behind his back. "From what I've heard, this young man has grown to be quite eccentric and unbearable. Did not like to come outside and displayed a spiteful attitude when communicating. Hohoho... I wonder, what person has he offended to such a degree that they want him dead?"  
  
Ayano fell into silence, not knowing what to say. As usual, she crumpled up the paper and swallowed it.  
  
"Then...Ayano will take leave now," she said, bowing one last time with her hands folded in front, and turned around to leave.  
  
Just before she pushed open the door, her master's voice stopped her.  
  
"Be quick to kill that first son of the Yamada's... Time is running out." Info-sama said. "Make him fall in love with you. Make it as painful as possible. I don't like my Yan-chan being possessed by another man..."  
  
Her nickname being said by her master sent chills down her spine. She wanted to know what grudge he held against him, but she knew better than to question his motives. Her only job is to be his weapon and follow his commands.  
  
"Yes...Master," she said before finally leaving.  
  
After she was gone, the basement fell into a moment of hearing nothing but dew drops dripping onto the rocky ground. Two figures, a girl and a boy, emerged from the shadows, both with hair and eyes the shade of blood.  
  
The girl crossed her arm and cocked an eyebrow, "Master, do you really trust her to kill Yamada?"  
  
A deep chuckle served as Info-sama's response.  
  
The girl and boy shared glances before the boy spoke up, "Why not just kill him directly? What if...what if she ends up...betraying you, Master?"  
  
"Enough, Yui, Haruto, she's my disciple to care about. I know she won't do anything that's against my will."  
  
Yui scoffed, "I don't believe that. When a stranger feeds a free dog for a long time, it will begin to think of them as its new master."  
  
Haruto clicked his tongue and nudged her shoulder to tell her to shut up. Yui glared at him angrily while pursing her lips and rubbed her shoulder.  
  
"Worry not. I have full control of everything," Info-sama put up a hand. "You two may back down now. I don't want to hear another word. After all, you wouldn't like it if I get irritated...would you?"  
  
Haruto bowed with his hands in front, "Of course, Master. Yui and I will leave now." With that, he grabbed Yui's arm and dragged her away, ignoring her complaints and lashes.  
  
Info-sama turned to his altar, facing towards the man in the photo.  
  
"Don't disappoint me, Yan-chan..." he said, and a low chuckle echoed in the room.  
  


-{}-  


  
Osano didn't know what's wrong with him. For the past few days, he would often space out during conversations with customers or relatives, which caused him to have many earfuls of scolding from his merchant father.

If it was just blanking out, he wouldn't feel fretful. The problem was, every time he daydreamed, an image of that stupid girl slowly emerges into his mind.

Her stupid smile, her stupid giggles, her stupid everything...

Why must it be her? Did she bewitch him? Did she hypnotize him?

Osano grumbled and ruffled his hair into a mess, trying to erase his weird thoughts. The warmth on his face matched the warmth on his neck, given by the scarf. However, neither of them matched the warmth in his chest.

Ignoring passerby's stares, he glued his eyes to the ground as he strolled along the path, kicking a tiny rock to distract himself, but to no avail.

_"Najimi-sama!"_

_"Najimi-sama?"_

_"Najimi-sama..."_

His name sounded so good in her mouth. He wondered, how would his first name sound like if she said it?

"Oh, jeez..." Osano murmured when he felt a smile creeping on his face. He smacked his cheeks to push it down, making his face red, but his smile maintained. He had no idea how ridiculous he looked.

Is this how friendship feels like? Maybe he's so excited because he found another person that could understand him. Yes, that must be it. There's no way that he...to a maid...

How embarrassing, to be flustered by a mere servant. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden arm wrapped around his neck and a heavy body leaning against him. He froze, smelling a strong odor of alcohol, making him cringe his nose.

"Hey there, beautiful~" a rough, scratchy voice of a man whispered into his ear, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. "Want this old man to take you out for some fun?"

Disgusted, Osano shoved the heavy, beefy arm off of himself and spun around to face the drunkard. He was fat, tall, and dirty, and his thick facial hair was sticky from saliva and snot. The fabric on his clothes was rough with torn patches, and the low collar exposed his hairy chest.

A young master from a privileged class like Osano would, of course, be repulsed by him.

"Piss off!" he exclaimed, "Is teasing another man funny to you?"

The drunkard hiccuped and wiped his mouth, then blinked to focus his blurry vision. Standing in front of him was a figure with silky, long hair as vibrant as summer, skin as fair as snow, and eyes as sparkly as the sun. So pretty, but after seeing his build clearly, he was obviously not a girl.

"Ooh, a boy?" he said, rubbing his chin as he scanned Osano up and down, "I've never seen such a pretty boy in my whole life! How exotic."

Osano shivered at his perverted eyes. Wanting to leave, he quickly turned around to walk away. He felt the huge hand on his shoulder again, stopping him from going farther.

"Now, now, don't leave so fast~," the gross man said. Having not seen a male this good-looking before, some daring thoughts arose in his mind. After all, this young man was prettier than many girls in the rural area, he wondered, how would he feel when he took him to bed?

"Don't touch me!" Osano erupted like a cat in stress and shoved the pig's hand off again. "I'm telling you one more time, I am a MAN! I don't swing that way at all, so get away from me!"

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the drunkard growled, "A man has no business being this pretty, now don't resist, before I get rough!"

Osano panicked when he began to grab and pull him. He tried to push him, but he was much bigger and stronger, so his struggle was futile.

The people around were either staring at them or walking away, none of them willing to lend a hand. They all watched Osano being harassed by another man and dragged away against his will, losing his pride.

This was humiliating.

Before he could hit the drunkard again, the harasser was suddenly knocked down, dust flying off the ground when he landed.

Osano widened his eyes, dumbfounded, and saw who his savior was.

Instead of another tall and strong man, it was a short, petite girl, with puffy hair in the shade of apricot, grinning like a child. She stepped on the man's huge body with one foot and hovered over him.

"What's an old man like you drinking so much in the morning for?" she asked in a cutesy voice.

The drunkard rolled around, causing the girl to jump back, and stood up, towering over her tiny body. Unfazed, she merely blinked innocently at him.

"Who the hell do you think you are, little brat?! I'll break you in half!" he roared and threw a punch at her.

His heavy fist was caught easily by the girl with one hand, who then twisted his entire arm, forcing him to drop on his knees, screaming in pain.

"Gee, that's no way to greet a girl, you know?" she giggled, "I'll introduce myself! I'm Raibaru Fumetsu, nice to meet you, old man!"

His voice was hitched in his throat when she said her name. Ignoring the cracking in his arm, a look of horror plastered over his face when he snapped his vision up at her face. Cold sweat rolled down his face like a waterfall, and the alcohol's effect was suddenly all gone.

"F...Fumetsu...?" he repeated, his voice croaking.

Raibaru nodded, her adorable smile never leaving her face. She finally let go of his hand, which would need a long time to recover.

"Ahh...hh..." he quickly bent over and kowtowed repeatedly until his forehead bruised, "I-I didn't know it was you, F-Fumetsu-san...no, Fumetsu-sama! I-I apologize for my foolish actions! Please forgive me!"

Pretending to think, Raibaru touched her chin with her pointer finger and hummed, "Hmm...should I? Didn't you just say you will break me in half?"

"I am an ignorant fool! I had no idea it was the almighty Fumetsu-sama! Please, please forgive my stupidity! I promise it would never happen again!"

"Well! In that case, I'll let you off the hook this time! Don't misbehave again!" Raibaru gleamed, although she resembled a demon in Osano and the man's eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, Fumetsu-sama!" kowtowing one last time, the man clumsily stood up and scurried away without dignity.

Seeing the commotion ended, the bystanders resumed to what they were doing before.

"What a rude fatty," Raibaru commented before turning to Osano.

Embarrassed, Osano coughed into his fist and muttered, "...thank you."

"You really are a troublesome beauty, Osano-kun," she giggled, making him blush even more.

"I-it's not my fault!"

"I know, I know," she laughed some more before running up to him and hugging his arm with both of hers as they headed along the path. "I wouldn't mind saving you all the time~"

"I mind..." Osano bit his bottom lip, "It's humiliating. To be talked to like that by another man even though I'm also a man..."

Raibaru glanced up at the boy who's over a head taller than her, "Would you like it better if a girl talks to you like that?"

"I-" Osano trailed off, "...better than a man."

"Then..." a mysterious tint of pink emerged on the petite girl's puffy cheeks, "I can compliment you all you want. What would you like me to say?"

"..." Osano thought about it for a moment, then answered, "Say I'm good-looking."

"E-eh?! This straightforward?!" Raibaru's smile stiffened and eyes widened. She snapped her head up again, only to see her friend looking back with a straight face. He wasn't embarrassed? He...wasn't teasing?! What's the meaning of this?!

"What's wrong?" he asked, to her disbelief.

"Um..." she desperately calmed her racing heart before she sighed and quietly said, "You...you're very good-looking."

_"Maybe it's because...Najimi-sama is known to be very good-looking!"_

Osano's face flushed red with a  _'whoosh!'_ , steam nearly coming out of his ears.

That stupid voice again, haunting him wherever he is.

Hearing no response, Raibaru bashfully raised her head, only to be surprised by how deep of a crimson his he was. Seeing his reaction made Raibaru's own cheeks tint pink again as her heart thumped against her chest loudly.

Could it be that...he...?

Osano turned his head away to hide his blush, but his neck and ears were also brilliant red, so it did not help. He took a deep breath and tried to think of boring things like the books his best friend reads, the customers he has to meet, and more.

"Osano-kun...?" Raibaru softly called out, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be? I-I'm fine!" Osano felt his tongue tangling like vines.

Raibaru suppressed an urge to smile like a fool and only let out a small giggle, "Okay~"

Both of them chose to not mention anything else about this, but for different reasons. They strolled along the path without saying another word for a long time, enjoying the morning breeze, calming their speeding hearts.

It felt nice to finally have a break from their personal lives.

"By the way, where did you get this scarf? It's so...girly!"

"H-hey!"

-{}-  


  
The wooden door creaked open and spilled daylight into the dark-as-abyss room. Dust and cobwebs covered many of the furniture, creating perfect habitats for bugs and insects.

Slightly taken aback, Ayano raised an eyebrow at the unorganized mess. There were brushes and ink all over the floor. Many paintings were also carelessly dropped on the ground, covered in debris. A stack of blank papers yet to be drawn on was plopped on a small, wooden chair on the side.

She slowly stepped in, her footsteps creating ear-piercing creaks within the wood, and waved her hand around to swat the flying dust away. Her foot touched an object, which she glanced down at and saw that it was a painting. She picked it up and examined it.

Just like what the rumors said, the work emitted no colors, no life. Dull and dark paint plastered the paper in frustrated strokes, forming what seemed to be a silhouette of a person in the middle. The figure appeared to be caged in this painting, wanting to escape.

It was a simple painting, but it seemed to hold so much more. Something that Ayano couldn't figure out.

Suddenly, she sensed another presence in the house and quickly dropped the artwork to be on guard. Footsteps from inside approached closer and closer until she saw another figure showing itself.

"The hell you want, visitor?" a low voice grumbled, clearly not in a welcoming tone.

Ayano deepened her voice to that of a boy's and replied, "This is...Saishiki-sensei's studio, right?"

"Get out. Don't waste my time."

Having not seen her soon-to-be victim's face, yet, Ayano refused, "I came a long way to see you. I was taken aback by how different your work is, and I would like to discuss it with you."

The artist was silence for a moment before stepping forward, finally revealing himself from the shadows. His shaggy, raven hair fell in front of his face like curtains, ungroomed and messy. Through the curtains of his hair, Ayano noticed that his irises resembled rubies, brilliant crimson, like those of a beast's. In this case, a worn-out beast.

It was as if a caveman was let out into the world for the first time in decades; no shower, no food, no sleep.

Ayano was surprised by how young the artist was, probably around the same age as her. What could've possibly put a teenager in such a state?

"You wouldn't understand," he growled. "No one would ever understand. Now, get out."

"Why not? Maybe I could understand. I've always admired your work, and I just really want to meet you."

"And now you've seen me. All beaten up and tossed away like garbage. There's no more to it. Get out."

Ayano pursed her lips in annoyance. Her master was right, Borupen Saishiki is indeed an unpleasant man. Somehow, she pitied him. He fell into a bottomless pit after his only way of expressing his unusual thoughts to the world was banned. Now, he's left to drown in his own emotions, slowly decaying without a way to escape.

Emotions really are a burden. Ayano was thankful that she didn't have to go through such trouble.

After memorizing this young man's appearance, Ayano pretended to look disappointed and bowed deeply, "I'm very sorry for interrupting you, Saishiki-sensei. I-"

Without letting her finish, Borupen picked up an emptied ink slab from the ground and aggressively threw it at her. Ayano's eyes widened and ducked before it could slam into her face.

"GET. OUT!!"

Ayano nodded and immediately ran out of the house, shutting the door, leaving the tortured soul all alone in containment again. Right as she pushed the door closed, she heard more breaking and shattering from inside.

She shook her head in pity. He's a lost cause.

-{}-  


  


"Father, I want to have the same training as Megamo!" Kencho declared while holding his sword in one hand.

The prime minister furrowed his eyebrows, "Where are your manners, Kencho? He is your older brother, and you shall address him as such."

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Kencho repeated, "Fine. Father, I want to have the same training as  _Brother_ Megamo. Is that better?"

"Your current training is more than enough," Saikou said, resuming his writing. With a flick of his wrist, another beautiful calligraphy character came to life on the paper.

Kencho took a deep breath to contain his frustration, "Why?! Why does Brother Megamo get to have the better training? We're both your sons, I should be learning the same things as him!"

"Once again, he is your older brother," Saikou responded without lifting his head, further angering his second son.

"I don't understand what does that matter! You always make sure I do not even see Mega-...  _Brother_ Megamo's training. Is it not better to train us both so you have two capable sons? Why do you insist on favoring him? What if... what if something bad happened to him, and he is no longer capable of inheriting your-"

_'Slam!'_

A shiver was sent down Kencho's spine when his father glared at him with those icy, silver eyes. Those orbs reflected no fatherly love. They looked at him as if he was a nuisance, a burden, anything less than his own blood.

"I didn't raise you to question me, Kencho Saikou. You should be studying right now instead of trying to fight me. Go back to your room at once. I will have your teacher test your progress in front of me."

Not giving up, Kencho retorted, "But Father! Shouldn't you understand my pain?! You were in my position, too! Grandfather only cared about Auntie until she-"

Saikou grabbed his ink slab and threw it at Kencho, who quickly dodged out of the way. The ink from the slab splattered everywhere, staining the carpet and wooden floor. Kencho gazed at his father in disbelief.

"Your aunt is nothing but a disgrace," Saikou's voice was cold and menacing. "Mention her again and I will disown you."

Silence.

Then, a chuckle. The chuckle grew into laughter.

"Disown? 'Father,' when have you ever looked at me as a son...and not a mere backup?" Kencho grinned widely, pain clear in his eyes.

His father gave no response.

"..." Kencho gritted his teeth in resentment. "Damn it all..." he cursed, storming out, "DAMN IT ALL!!"

After the boy left, the short eunuch from the side walked over to the mess from the ink and picked up the slab, which fortunately had no cracks, and returned it to the prime minister.

_"Backup."_ In the Saikou household, there is no such thing as "family love". It was all about inheritance. Continuing the legacy. Letting the name flourish. Everything was done for a reason, not desire.

A Saikou is heartless, coldblooded. They believed that emotions are only burdens. Whoever falls to emotions are weaklings that only deserve to be crushed.

The prime minister understood this at a much younger age than Kencho. Since he was born, it was already too late. He had nothing and will never get any because he was a mere backup. Always the "lesser" one.

Until thirty years ago.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It's been a while since he visited that old man.

-{}-  


  
Osano squirmed in his seat as he watched the green tea fall from the snout of the teapot into the cup. The maid that was pouring it was not the maid he wanted to see. He didn't expect Raibaru to follow him the entire way to the Yamada residence. Otherwise, he wouldn't have walked through the front gate like normal.

Then he wouldn't have to be sitting here with Master and Lady Yamada as a formal guest.

"It's so nice to see you again, Osano-kun! It's been a while," the lady said with a warm smile.

Osano and Raibaru thanked the maid that passed them their cups of tea.

"Thank you, uh...it's great to see you, too, Auntie and Uncle," Osano awkwardly replied. Of course they haven't seen him for a while, that's what he intended.

"And who would've thought you'd bring your little lover here today!" Master Yamada chuckled and smoothed his beard.

Osano nearly choked on his tea.

Raibaru giggled with pink-ish cheeks and said, "My name is Raibaru Fumetsu, Yamada-sama."

Quickly catching up, Osano retorted, "She's not my lover, Uncle...! Just a friend, just a friend..."

"Oh, that's a shame, I thought you two suit each other quite well," Lady Yamada said.

Master Yamada nodded in agreement, making Osano feel more awkward, then turned to Raibaru, "You mentioned that your last name is...Fumetsu?"

Like a well-behaved child, Raibaru nodded.

"I believe I've heard of you! Last year's martial arts competition, you broke the record by being the only girl that joined and managed to win first place. I am very impressed."

Lady Yamada beamed, "Oh, my! Fumetsu-san, that's amazing! You are truly not like any other girls!"

"Yeah, more manly than a man..." Osano muttered under his breath, earning a hard pinch on his side, causing him to nearly screech.

Still keeping her cutesy smile, Raibaru giggled shyly, "Auntie, you think too highly of me. I just got lucky, that's all."

"Beautiful and humble, what a good girl~ Auntie likes you a lot!"

"Hehe~

Osano simply smiled politely as the two women continued to converse with each other. Eventually, without realizing, he fell into his daydream again.

What could that strange girl be doing right now? Is she alright? That girl is so stupid, did she hurt herself again when doing embroidery? Does she even know he's here? Why hasn't she come to see him, yet? Has she forgotten about him?

...why the hell is he thinking about her so much?!

_Ba-dum._

It's that feeling again, in his chest... Warm, fluttering, even intriguing.

Why? Why does he feel this way? He's only known her for a few days, yet every time she appears, he wouldn't want her to leave. Is this how he thinks about Tarō...?

Perhaps so. Perhaps he's just excited to finally have another person to understand him as much as that raven-haired bookworm.

"...kun? Osano-kun?" Lady Yamada's voice pierced through his daydream.

Osano snapped out of his thoughts, "H-huh? Oh, yes! Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Raibaru gazed at him with concern, "Osano-kun, are you okay? You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"I'm, I'm fine! Just, uh...tired. You know, been traveling a lot with my dad."

Master Yamada nodded understandingly, "Najimi-sama is indeed a very hardworking person. He'd want to train you to be even better."

Lady Yamada agreed, "He's certainly admirable." Then she added, "Anyways, I was only asking, where did you get that scarf? I wouldn't have expected you to wear pink, Osano-kun. Not to mention, it's far from winter."

Red-faced, Osano scratched his cheek, "Umm...I just...bought it. It was...on sale."

His response made Lady Yamada break composure and laugh, "On sale? Osano-kun, you're not even on a budget, you couldn't have gotten a better-looking one? The design on this is so ugly, it does not suit you at all!"

Osano resisted the urge to retort; instead, he just laughed awkwardly.

"I told him that, too!" Raibaru said, "It looks like it's made in the rural! So poorly done!" She lifted a tail of the scarf and showed it to the Yamada parents.

Annoyed, Osano snatched the tail out of her hand and re-adjusted the neck, "I like it, okay? To each their own!"

Snickering, Raibaru teased, "Why such an extreme reaction? Could it be that...it's from a secret lover or something? Is that why you're so defensive~?"

That caused Osano to explode, his cheeks painted in crimson, "N-NO! Lover?! What lover?! I-I don't like anyone! Don't say weird things like that!"

Raibaru giggled, "Alright, alright, I'll stop bullying you. It's not like you'd hide any secret crushes from me." A pause, she hesitantly asked, "...would you?" Unfortunately, her last question was too quiet to be heard.

Osano cleared his throat in embarrassment and turned to the Yamada couple, "By the way...Auntie, Uncle, how has Tarō been? I haven't seen him in ages. You guys didn't even hold a wedding ceremony for him. I had to learn about his marriage by passing by your place when there were red ribbons hanging all over the walls. How's the bride? Are they getting along well?"

"Oh, uh..." Lady and Master Yamada shared an awkward glance, not knowing what to say.

Osano narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Every single time he asks about his best friend or the marriage, he never gets a proper response. Did the bride's family cause trouble? Or, even worse, did the couple elope?

Noticing their discomfort, Raibaru quickly changed the topic, "Speaking of marriage, Osano-kun, when do you plan on bringing a daughter-in-law home for your father? You're already seventeen now, do you...not have any candidates in mind?"

Also choosing not to continue interrogating the Yamada's, Osano replied by squirming nervously, "...I haven't really thought of it. I currently don't have any plans to have my own family."

"But you've already reached the age!" Lady Yamada immediately joined the new conversation. "Do you not have anyone in mind? Think about it, the girls in Buraza Town are all beautiful and talented. Plus, you've been to many other places. Have you not set your eyes on a single girl? For example, Raibaru-chan seems perfect for you~!"

"J-jeez, Auntie..." the apricot-haired girl bit her bottom lip bashfully as her cheeks tinted the color of cherry blossoms.

"I..." Osano trailed off. Have his eyes set on a girl? For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to immediately deny it like usual. At the most inconvenient time, an image of that idiot's face popped up in his head again...

Raibaru's golden eyes widened at the sight of Osano's red face. Is he...shy? For her? Could this mean that...

Master Yamada chuckled deeply to interrupt the strange atmosphere going on, "Alright now, dear, stop teasing these two youngsters already."

"Oh, forgive me if I'm being nosy," Lady Yamada apologized. "It's just that seeing you two reminded me of my youth..."

-{}-

  
Osano didn't know how much time passed before they finally finished talking (with him occasionally nodding and laughing as politeness). By the time he and Raibaru stepped out, the sky was already a porridge of purple and orange glows. Unfulfilled by this visit, he told Raibaru to go home first without him so that he can stay a bit longer.

"Ehh? You're not going to walk me back?" Raibaru pouted.

"It's literally a few minutes of walking, you're not going to die..." Osano deadpanned.

"But I'm a girl! What if I get hurt?"

"Fumetsu, I can assure you, if there is a fight, you'll never be the one hurt."

"..." Raibaru stuck her tongue out at him childishly and left him behind, "Fine, jerk. I won't be there to protect you, then!"

Osano's eye twitched and muttered, "Who wants to be protected by you..."

After Raibaru disappeared into the distance, Osano followed his usual path of sneaking into the backyard. As expected, there were little to no security. He would advise them to add some guards, but that'd only make it harder for himself to sneak in.

From behind the stone wall, he could hear muffled conversations between two girls. If he focused intensely, he could make out words like "dinner" and "mistress". Is the new mistress finally showing herself?

Though it's rude, Osano climbed over the wall as the back doors were closed and he didn't want to make any noises. His amber eyes poked out from behind the wall to peak at the girls that were talking, hoping to find out how the mistress looked like, but only saw a familiar ebony-haired girl and an unfamiliar cerulean-haired girl with red eyes.

Ayano's sharp senses led to her catching a glimpse of Osano's bright orange hair on the wall at the corner of her eye. She decided to end her conversation with Kumiko early so the young son of a merchant would not suspect her identity.

"Then, you may go ahead now," Ayano said to Kuu. "Tell Midori, too."

Kuu bowed, "Yes, ma'am."

With that, she ran away from sight. Ayano pretended to not see the mischievous young master still hanging on the wall and headed towards the direction of her residence.

This lured Osano out, who called, "Oi, Ayumi!"

Ayano halted her steps and glanced back, acting surprised to see him, "Najimi-sama? What are you doing up there?"

Osano jumped down the wall and walked towards her, "Just escaped a day-long talk with Auntie and Uncle... I nearly forgot about my goal for coming here."

"Oh? What's your goal?" Ayano raised a brow, "Tarō-sama is not available."

"I-I didn't come here to see Tarō!" he blurted out, regretting it instantly. He tried to cover up, "Uh, I-I mean, I am, but...uh..."

Ayano covered her mouth and chuckled, "Then is it Hanakō-sama?"

"...y-yeah," Osano's face reddened. Ayano was almost amused by how easily blood rushes to his head.

"Aww, I would've thought you came to see me~" she teased, making the color on his face deepen.

However, his pride prevented him from admitting it, "W-well, don't get cocky! We're n-not that close!"

"You say that, but..." Ayano slowly pulled on the tails of the scarf she made for Osano, tugging him closer to her, "you're wearing something I made. Najimi-sama, you actually care about me, don't you~"

His heart nearly bounced out of his throat, and his legs felt too weak to support his body. He gulped and pulled away from her, adjusting the neck of the scarf, "That's...o-only because you spent a lot of time on it and I feel bad. O-otherwise, who'd want to wear this ugly thing... And it's pink..."

Ayano giggled, deciding to not toy with him anymore. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Najimi-sama? I can inform the master and the lady."

"No, no need, I really don't wanna listen to them talking more today..." Osano scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh dear, seems like they like talking to you a lot."

"Yeah, especially when it's about...marriage and stuff."

"Marriage?" Ayano repeated in an amused tone, "Oh, right, Najimi-sama is around Tarō-sama's age now. It's about time for you to have an engagement."

Hearing this, Osano's stomach felt heavy for some reason. She sounded so nonchalant as if it doesn't matter to her...

Wait, why is he getting upset?

"Yeah, whatever," he humphed in annoyance, "This is all so stupid. Marriage is useless. It's just a restriction of freedom and the addition of responsibilities."

"..." Ayano fell into silence. He's not wrong. Even though her marriage was a failure, she was still expected to stay home all day as a wife. If she was a normal girl, she would probably die of boredom before shame. The shame of being ghosted by her husband.

She thanked her master again for taking her in, giving her the chance and ability to roam freely.

Osano noticed the girl hadn't spoken for a moment and questioned, "Ayumi? What's wrong?"

Ayano blinked and gathered back her focus, "Oh, sorry, I was just...thinking."

Osano opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He pursed her lips as he stared at this girl in deep thoughts, then he finally said, "Well...maybe marriage isn't all that bad... As long as you like the person you're with, I guess."

She nodded, "Love is a wonderful thing. You must cherish it."

_"Love."_  Something that all Aishi women were born for. Something that gives an Aishi woman her purpose.

That "something" may never come to Ayano Aishi, an assassin with hands covered in the blood of the innocents and the evils.

The sun was setting. The swirl of purples and golds slowly became more dominantly purple. Evening breezes blew by, caressing the pink flowers of the blossom trees.

Osano's eyelids lowered, "Actually, I lied..."

Ayano turned her head to him, gazing at him with her large, curious eyes.

He licked his dry lips, his heart pounding louder and louder in his ears. "...I didn't come to see Hanakō... I came to see you."

A moment of silence, as if the world was just them, Osano's amber irises shimmered despite the setting sun.

Then, a smile slowly stretched on the girl's cherry lips, "I know."

On his way back home, Osano felt himself glowing in the gradual darkness.

He was wrong, this feeling he has is not the same for Tarō. It's different. It's warm. It's fluttering.

But...what is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I took so long, school and stuff
> 
> btw join discord lol https://discord.gg/EXyk3mE


	8. Schemes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayano witnesses the arrogance of corrupted riches. Osano comes to terms with his feelings.

Darkness fell, signaling for Ayano to move. After wrapping herself in cloth with the color of night, she snuck out of her house and escaped the Yamada Residence while avoiding all the guards' sight.  
  
The cool breeze accompanied her as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop before finally arriving at the tattered house of her victim. She crouched down on the roof of the shop across from it and leaned over to take a peek. There was still a hint of dim light inside.  
  
Just as she was about to jump down, her sharp eyes caught a glimpse of another person walking in the house. She quickly crouched back down and angled herself into a position where she can watch the scene inside.  
  
"You're still as hopeless as ever," the visiting girl said.  
  
"I don't remember welcoming you here. Get out," Borupen Saishiki growled.  
  
"God, can't you just converse like a normal person for once? I'm trying to be nice here."  
  
"Shove that 'niceness' down your throat. You're only here to humiliate me."  
  
The girl clicked her tongue and shook her head, "I didn't come to pick a fight, okay? I just...wanted to talk."  
  
"Don't wanna hear it. Leave."  
  
She sighed, then she glanced at the messy room and roamed around, picking up broken sculptures and ripped up paintings. "You know...Tsuka-sensei really wishes that you can return."  
  
A loud banging against wood was heard, making Ayano jump a bit.  
  
"Don't mention that bastard's name in front of me," Borupen threatened with a cold and menacing voice. "He doesn't have feelings. He would never 'miss' me. After I've been stripped away of everything, he made no effort to reach out to me. None of you did. No one did."  
  
"..." the girl fell silent.  
  
Ayano pursed her lips and slowly leaned over again to take a better look. The visitor was a petite girl with mint green locks tied in a low bun and large, magenta eyes. She seemed around the same age as Borupen, maybe one or two years younger.  
  
"We tried to, Saishiki-senpai," she said. "We really tried to. But you wouldn't let us."  
  
"Damned LIAR!" the artist's voice boomed. "I asked you to help me promote my works and force the ban to be lifted, but did anyone bother? No, no one did. Because you were scared. You're scared that your art will be banned as well and that you'll run out of business, ending up like me!"  
  
"T-that's not true, senpai-"  
  
"Don't call me 'senpai,' Maka Tansei! I am not and never was related to you. I feel ashamed to even be in the same industry as you! You all are only doing art for money. I...only I...was expressing my soul onto my canvas!"  
  
"You're  _twisted,_ Borupen Saishiki! The things you painted are worrisome. You were clearly unstable!"  
  
A shattering noise filled the room, followed by Maka's scream.  
  
"'Unstable?'" Borupen chuckled lowly, gradually growing into a burst of maniacal laughter. " _'Unstable?!'_ Tansei, do you realize how utterly ridiculous you sound?"  
  
Ayano saw him slam his hand into a piece of art that seemed to be work in progress, "This is ART! The supposed 'cruel' and 'twisted' imagery you all fear is ART! It surpasses the fake happiness and illusions of romance that you mere amateurs would never understand! It's my way of expressing myself, my own mind! Why should I be silenced? Why should the truth be censored?! Society just doesn't like being called out, that's what! The government doesn't like seeing someone unhappy under its reign!"  
  
"Y-you're spouting nonsense, Saishiki...!"  
  
"Yes, nonsense, just like your so-called 'art'!"  
  
"W-what did you-"  
  
"Admit it, Tansei..." Borupen smirked, "you try to be 'eccentric' and 'quirky' by painting some weird and bizarre abstract blotches. In reality, you're totally down-to-the-earth normal, aren't you? This is only your way of marketing! Just like that snake, Geiju Tsuka, selling his 'tortured soul' persona by not speaking. In reality, he's just a stuck-up nobody trying to appear different."  
  
"...enough..."  
  
"What? Don't like being called out? Scared to be exposed? Don't worry, in my state, no one would listen to my voice anymore! I'm just a roach being tampered by this world. No one else but I would know."  
  
"I said, enough is enough!"  
  
Another silence.  
  
Ayano lowered her eyelids, thinking about what the fallen artist had said. His booming voice resembled a call of desperation. He talked so much as if excited that someone was there to listen. Was this his way of denial? Was he trying to comfort himself to think that he could still be heard?  
  
"As I expected...you're far beyond saving," Maka muttered. Then she laughed and said, "It's no use. Stop your struggle already, Borupen Saishiki. It's too late now. The reason I came here was to say goodbye."  
  
"..." Borupen didn't say anything back.  
  
"This life of your bloated ego and childish delusions...it's about time to draw a period to it."  
  
"...heh..."  
  
"No matter what others say, you won't listen. You're forever stuck in that tiny, dark world of yours, thinking you know everything. You're just a mundane pervert. Tsuka-sensei couldn't bring himself to tell you this, so I did it. Deal with your problems yourself. No one has the time for this."  
  
Soon, Ayano saw the green-haired girl walk out of the house. She hid behind the roof before she could be spotted.  
  
"Goodbye, Saishiki-senpai...or should I say... 'farewell?'" Maka said. With that, she strolled away from the tattered house and disappeared into the darkness of the night.  
  
The young assassin furrowed her eyebrows. What does that mean? Could she perhaps be the...?  
  
Ayano waited for a few more seconds before hovering over the roof again to glance at the house. Not seeing any movements, she silently descended herself from the top of the shop and gingerly approached her target's residence.  
  
Suddenly, his laughter erupted again, causing her to immediately lean against the wall to stay out of sight. She turned her head towards the opened door and peeked inside.  
  
"What a twisted world..." he mumbled, picking up a chair and moving it to an emptier area. He then took out a long strand of white ribbon from his sleeve-pocket and threw it around the rafter, making a loop at the bottom.  
  
Ayano widened her eyes.  
  
Taking one glance at his unfinished artwork, Borupen muttered to himself, "Too bad...I was hoping to finish you tomorrow..."  
  
He slowly stepped on the chair and placed the loop under his chin. With a kick of his foot, his weight dropped. His choking sounds gargled in his throat and his feet pranced uselessly in the air, trying to disobey his mind's decision.  
  
Then, there was silence.  
  
Ayano stepped away from the wall and entered the house. She stood before Borupen and looked up at him, not saying a word.  
  
What a fool, she thought. An absolute fool, he is.  
  
She couldn't understand.  
  


 

 

-{}-

 

 

  
From eavesdropping on Master and Lady Yamada, Ayano found out that in a few days, the Najimi father and son duo will be going on another business trip, this time to the western area. That meant that she must dig out as much information about Tarō Yamada as possible before Osano leaves.

Hoping to memorize his daily routine and the places he most often goes to, Ayano dressed up in her male attire and snuck out from the backyard the Yamada Residence after eating breakfast with the Yamada couple.

As she strolled through the busy-as-usual streets of the small town, she noticed a group of men standing on the side discussing something while wearing an uneasy expression. She pretended to look at the flowers of a nearby flower stand to listen to their conversation.

"That's really unfortunate..."

"To be honest, I saw this coming. He was unstable beyond salvation."

"Yeah, perhaps this is the best ending he could get."

"He was so young and talented, too... Life really is unfair to the gifted. He's too different from the rest of the world."

"Dying at this time period, it's quite unsettling, too, especially with the ongoing war and mysterious deaths and murders..."

Ayano lowered her eyelids. They were talking about Borupen Saishiki. She suddenly pitied him for being noticed again only after he ended his own life. All those years of living at the deepest pit of depression only brought him silence, yet he got the recognition he wanted after he passed. Pitiful, truly pitiful. Perhaps he'll be more fortunate next life.

"Mister, would you like anything?" the old man of the flower stand asked politely.

With her thoughts interrupted, the raven-haired girl turned her attention back to the flowers and finally pointed to a small pot of a white Tsubaki flower. "This one, please," she replied with a smile.

The old man carefully handed her the flowerpot, "These are quite difficult to take care of without experience. Make sure to keep it in a more delicate environment, young man."

"Got it," Ayano nodded and placed her coins on the stand, then she accepted the flowerpot with both hands. She slightly regretted buying it as she now has to carry weight while mapping out Osano's routine.

She continued ambling down the cobblestone street, looking for the orange-haired young master so she could follow him, but to no avail. Right before she was about to turn a different direction, she saw the manager of Odayaka Restaurant picking out groceries at a cash crop stand.

Ayano approached the chestnut-haired boy and tapped his shoulder, "Yo, Odayaka-san!"

Amao turned around with a surprised look, "Ayanari-san...!"

"Fancy seeing you here."

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Amao smiled brightly, his emerald eyes glistering as well. "How have you been doing?"

"Eh, the usual. Just trying to live life the best and hope the war out there would end soon. Stuff like that."

"Ah...I understand how you feel. This war has been haunting everyone for so long. Hopefully, now that the son of the prime minister joined, it would end soon."

Ayano nodded, then made a concerned expression while placing a hand on Amao's shoulder, "Oh, by the way...Odayaka-san, are you feeling better?"

Confused, Amao tilted his head, "Hm?"

"Well...you know, just a few days, I heard that...Mei Mio-san...well..."

"Oh..."

The two fell into momentary silence. The young chef sighed deeply, his cheerful smile now faltered.

"I just don't understand..." he said quietly, "why would anyone do that to such a kind and sweet girl? Mei never did anything wrong. I don't know what kind of person would be so cruel..."

Despite seeing how melancholic he was, Ayano felt no guilt. After all, she wasn't the one that wanted her dead. She was just obeying orders. She was just carrying out someone's wishes. In a way, that's a good deed, right? The hateful and bitter relationships happening between Mei and the person who wanted her dead doesn't concern Ayano.

"I don't, either, Odayaka-san. I'm so sorry..." Ayano feigned a sympathetic voice. "I've only met her that one time, but I could tell that she was a total sweetheart. People are cruel. This world is cruel. You have my condolences..."

Amao nodded and forced another smile, "Thank you, Ayanari-san... You're the first person to talk to me about it. Everyone else in the restaurant moved slowly afterward but didn't mention a word. They probably didn't want to believe it."

Ayano patted his back, "Don't mention it, I wouldn't want to, either, if we were that close. Are you her lover?"

"No," Amao chuckled and shook his head, "I see her as my dear sister. She stayed with me since my beginning years as a chef."

"She's a great friend for not abandoning you. And Odayaka-san must be a great person, too, for keeping so many people by your side."

"Haha, you flatter me, Ayanari-san..." Amao paused, then asked, "By the way, Ayanari-san, since you gave me your first name, you can call me by mine, too. It's Amao. You can drop the honorific, too."

"Uh..." Ayano blinked, "alright! Then...Amao-kun."

"I guess that's fine for now," Amao chuckled. "Ayanari-kun."

Ayano rubbed her nose like a young boy with a goofy grin, "Man, I'm now friends with the head of the famous Odayaka Restaurant. I could get used to this."

"A-Ayanari-kun, don't tease me like that...!"

"Hehe~"

Amao gasped, "Oh, dear, I've kept you here for so long! Were you heading anywhere?"

Ayano saw an empty spot by the cash crop stand and placed the flower pot there to get rid of the extra weight, "I was just gonna take a look at Haruka Treasury. Also, don't you have to go back to your restaurant?"

"Oh, no worries. I'm taking a break today. These groceries are for myself and my parents." Amao lifted up his basket of fish and vegetables to show her. "May I accompany you to the jewelry shop?"

"Eh? Um..." How troublesome...but she couldn't really find any excuses to refuse. "Sure thing. Let's go, then."

 

 

-{}-

 

 

"Kizano-sama," Golden Lotus's procuress addressed. "You have been requested."

The violet-haired beauty dressed in scarlet red didn't bother turning around to face her, "Oh? Who is this brave, rich mister?"

"He's...the son of the Saikou family."

"..." nearly dropping the fan in his hand, Kizano snapped his head around, "I beg your pardon?"

"Not the first son, that one is out on the battlefield. This is the younger one, Kencho Saikou-"

"Send him out," Kizano interrupted, once again looking away from the middle-aged woman with a heavily-painted face. "I thought I've made this clear enough for you, old hag. No members of the Saikou family will be granted my appearance. Is your brain so small that you forgot?"

Ignoring the insults, the procuress added, "Kizano-sama, he said that he wants to discuss with you something about your father..."

"Do I need to repeat myself?!"

The procuress shuttered from Kizano's sudden rise of voice.

"Must I remind you that the top-requested member of Golden Lotus is me, Kizano Sunobu. Not my father, not an ugly old woman like you. If some little prepubescent pervert wants to talk about my father, he can go reach out to him! In this place, I am a singer, an actor, a treasure. All political nonsense shall not step anywhere near me. Got it?"

"I-I..." completely stunned by his brashness, the procuress couldn't make out what to say, "...yes, Kizano-sama..." Unwillingly, she backed out of the enormous single room and carefully closed the door.

Kizano humphed to himself, "These braindead, no-good courtiers." He opened his fan again and returned to his elegant dancing, letting his angelic voice accompanying his moves, filling the empty, lonely room.

_"Submissively handing ov'r the country,_

_He hath chosen to romance the beauty._

_Disaster and fortune alternate in cycles,_

_Is this calamity or is this destiny?"_

A sudden noise from clapping cut off his singing, and he irritatingly turned towards the door to see who disrupted his vibe. He widened his eyes and gasped when he saw who was standing there.

"Dazzling. Absolutely magnificent voice, dear Kizano-san," the second son of the Saikou family applauded with a smug grin. "Out of all the gorgeous women that's performed before me, none of them could match the gracefulness of yours."

"..." an icy and distant expression took form on Kizano's pretty face as he bowed. "Greetings, Second Young Master Saikou. What brings your dignified self to my lowly place?"

"Now, now, don't act so cold~" the young boy walked towards him, still wearing that punchable smile. "I just wanna have a nice talk with you."

"Oh, but I do not think my unworthy self would be a qualified person to converse with you, Saikou-sama," Kizano bowed again, thoroughly refusing. "Did that incompetent procuress not deliver to you about my discomfort?"

"Oh, she did, she did," Kencho waved a nonchalant hand, "but I didn't wanna give up. I had to see you."

"And why is that? What could the almighty Saikou-sama want from an uneducated commoner like me?"

"Don't say that, my Venus," the young master stood close to Kizano and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, filling him with disgust, "how can someone as beautiful as you be an uneducated commoner? Not to mention, your father is one of our best military commanders. Which brings us to what I wanted to discuss with you today."

Kizano tried to pull away from him, but he only tightened his grip. "I apologize, Saikou-sama-"

"Please, call me Kencho. I do not wish to be classified as the same group as my brother right now."

"Kencho-sama, I'm sorry, but I am not feeling well. May we please move this discussion to a different date when I recover?"

Despite being the lesser one, Kencho was still a Saikou, and a Saikou never gives up on getting what he wants. He chuckled, "I'm afraid I'm not patient enough to wait any longer, Kizano-san..."

Suppressing his anger, Kizano took a deep breath and forced a smile, "Sounds quite urgent. What could Kencho-sama want to talk to me about?"

Kencho merely smirked and let go of the annoyed Kizano. He then walked towards one of the mattresses on the ground and plopped down casually, only infuriating Kizano more. Knowing he won't get out, Kizano sighed and poured the young boy some tea from a fancy china teapot, then he knelt down on the other end of the table.

"Kizano-san," Kencho began, "you know that your father, Sunobu-sama, is a well-achieved man in the royal palace, right? He fought in and led countless wars, and he even helped us crush the uprising of the barbaric eastern tribes."

"It's what he should do for His Majesty."

The young Saikou laughed, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, all for His Majesty. Well, I've got news for ya. Because of his contribution, he's earned His Majesty's recognition, and He was contemplating on promoting him to a Duke of the First Class."

Kizano furrowed his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"Oh? You don't look too happy, Kizano-san," Kencho chuckled.

"Well, my old man was only doing his job. Constantly spoiling him with promotions...might inflate his ego and perhaps even cause jealousy."

Kencho snapped his fingers. "That's exactly what's going on right now. You see, the one that suggested to His Majesty to promote your father...was none other than my own father, the prime minister!"

"Eh...?" Kizano widened his eyes slightly. "Prime Minister Saikou? Why would he...?"

"Kizano-san is so smart, I think you can figure out why," Kencho rested his head on his palm. "As someone sitting on one of the highest positions in the palace, my father would know best how dangerous holding an immense amount of power could be. You see, humans' biggest faults are pride and power. We know Sunobu-sama is a prideful man, as he well deserves. By promoting him to the First Class, that's just adding oil to the fire, isn't it? With the jealousy surrounding your father right now, that's only going to worsen in the future. After that, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the royal officials join hands to bring Sunobu-sama down."

"..." the actor lowered his eyes and balled his slim hands into fists. "...why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be supporting your father with his plans? You are betraying him by exposing his motives to the son of the man he is trying to bring down."

Kencho laughed loudly and slapped his thigh, "Support my father? You're making me laugh, Kizano-san!" He continued to laugh some more until his face suddenly switched to a cold, almost maniacal expression. "In my so-called 'family,' I'm nothing but an extra, a backup for my brother. My birth's sole purpose was to be Megamo's replacement in case anything 'bad' happens to him. Do you know how suffocating it is to always be secluded from family activities? It's always Megamo this, Megamo that. Even when giving him his special training, I'm not even allowed to see. And for what reason? Only because they don't want me being equally skilled as him so that I won't have the chance to rebel!"

Kizano jumped slightly when Kencho slammed his fist against the small table.

"And now, I decided that my life will be determined by me, and me only," the young silver-haired boy jabbed a thumb towards himself. "To hell with this cold-blooded family tradition. I want to build my own powers and show my father that Megamo is nothing without him, meanwhile I can be my own man. They will all regret discarding me for all these years."

Kizano always knew the Saikou's were not normal people, and he himself hated them for their pretentiousness and inhumane methods, but this was the first time he witnessed the insanity that a Saikou can exhibit. They really are dangerous people.

"So, what do you say?" Kencho leaned forward, his face inching closer to Kizano, making him lean back slightly. "Kizano-san, you and I are not so different at all. I know you hate the Saikou's as well. Why not join me to support your father against mine?"

The violet-haired actor stood up and turned away, "I don't think we're much alike, Kencho-sama. And I have no interest in helping my father. That stinking old man deserves whatever is coming to him. I just want to live my quiet life here in Golden Lotus and sing in peace. I have no desire to be dragged into all that political drama."

Kencho stood up as well and skipped to the other side of the table to approach him, "Kizano-san, are you not the least worried? Saikou's aim to secure the top of all hierarchy. Once Sunobu-sama comes too close, my father would feel threatened in his seat. He would definitely find ways to...get rid of him. He might find ways to throw dirt on him that would result in, well, the death penalty. Once that time comes...Kizano-san, do you think, as the only son of Sunobu-sama, you'd get away safely?"

Kizano scowled, "Are you threatening me, Kencho-sama?"

"But of course not, my dear," Kencho chuckled, "I'm only giving you a choice. You can join me and we can thrive together, or you can refuse and only hope for the best that my father is merciful. And let me warn you, Saikou's are cold-hearted animals under that dignified appearance."

Without waiting for his retort, Kencho spun around and headed towards the exit, "I'll let you think about it. Once you've made your decision, you know where to find me. I'm just a careless teenager who doesn't do anything productive, after all!"

Just like that, he left the room and closed the door.

 

 

-{}-

 

 

  
When Ayano and Amao came to the Haruka's jewelry shop, they were taken aback by the commotion going on inside. A familiar-looking man, bearded, big-boned, and red-faced, standing behind his scrawny, buck-toothed servant, who intimidatingly leaned over the counter towards the poor Manager Haruka, hollering in his face.

"Do you enjoy testing my patience?!" he pointed a finger at Haruka. "Ronshaku-sama has been so magnanimous and kind to give you two weeks of extension, and this is how you repay him?!"

"P-please," Haruka begged, his legs trembling, "just give me o-one more week, and I-I'll for sure have the money ready...!"

"One more week?! Do you think Ronshaku-sama has the time just for you?!" the servant raised his voice more, making the manager jump. "You will give the money today, or you will watch your little shop get destroyed right before your eyes!"

"I beg of you, please h-have mercy!" Haruka put his hands together before himself and pleaded.

Ayano and Amao shared a glance, not knowing whether to leave or step in. Amao didn't want to risk being targeted by Ronshaku after having to deal with him last time, and Ayano was more cautious of having her identity exposed if she angered him again.

The other customers didn't want to get caught up in the mess and decided to leave or stand on the side to watch.

The buck-toothed servant smirked, "Heh, well, there is one more option. That little girl of yours, I heard she is quite the beauty. Ronshaku-sama is interested in taking her in as his concubine. What do you say? This is such an honor to your daughter, Haruka-san!"

Haruka's eyes widened in terror and his face went pale, "N-no, p-please, my daughter is still young, s-she cannot marry j-just yet...! Please, Ronshaku-sama, she's my daughter, I-I can't-"

The servant slammed his hands against the counter furiously, "'Still young?!' Haruka-san, last time I checked, your daughter recently turned sixteen, did she not? She is already over the age to marry! You dare lie to me and defy Ronshaku-sama's wishes?!"

"N-no, I..."

"Ronshaku-sama," the servant turned to his master, "this peasant has not only refused to pay his debt but also blatantly lied to you and resisted your wishes. How shall we punish him?"

The bearded man fiddled with the rosary bracelet in his hand and contemplated while staring intensely at Manager Haruka. The faster he spun the beads with his thumb, the faster Haruka's heart pounded. Finally, with a sadistic grin, he responded, "Smash everything."

"Roger that!" the servant grinned back and began pushing all the displays off the counter and stomping on them. Then he grabbed a tray and brutally smashed it against a shelf, shattering the wooden tray and letting all the jewelry fall off.

Gasping in horror, the manager chased after him while yelling desperately, "Please stop, please stop! Don't do this, please! Let's talk this out, let's talk this out! Don't destroy my business! I have a family to feed, please don't do this to me!"

Ignoring him, the servant continued to throw everything to the ground and crushing them with his foot.

Seeing that there was no use in telling him to stop, Haruka ran to Ronshaku and dropped on his knees, banging his forehead against the ground repeatedly, "Ronshaku-sama, this pitiful old man has almost nothing left, please have some mercy! I will forever be your dog, your slave for the rest of my life...just please, don't destroy what little I've built!"

Ronshaku glanced down at him, chuckling, "You? What use could a fragile, old man like you have for me? Stay out of my sight." He then kicked him to the side and ordered his servant to break more of the shop.

Ayano wasn't willing to risk grasping the attention of this bastard again and decided to turn around and leave. But before she could start walking away, Amao Odayaka took a step forward and stood up against the wealthy monsters.

"Let him go now, you are only being cruel for bullying a small shopowner!"

Suddenly, Ayano wished she never crossed paths with him.

The pompous man and his servant turned their heads towards them, glaring menacingly. The servant stormed towards them with his hands on his hips and scanned them both carefully.

"Which one of you said that just now?" he interrogated.

Amao gulped, clenching his hands into fists, "I-"

"I did," Ayano cut him off and pushed him behind her.

The chestnut-haired boy widened his mint eyes at her.

The scrawny man examined her from head to toe and scoffed, "Hmm, you?" He approached her closer, making her back up from his suddenly zoomed-in face. "I recognize you, you feminine-looking sissy. A puny little nobody like you dares offend the almighty Ronshaku-sama? Does your head feel discomfort while attached to your neck?"

Ayano merely smiled, "I'm just saying, the people here all barely can support themselves. Haruka-san here has only one daughter and no sons. He has huge struggles to keep up with the money. It's not fair that you guys rob him of his only source of income. Besides, without a business, how will he pay off his debt?"

"Heh," the servant huffed, "if you can't pay back, you shouldn't have borrowed in the first place! He brought this upon himself!"

"Now, now..." she cooed, pushing him back a little to give herself more personal space, "let's not make Ronshaku-sama look bad. It's just some debt, right? Someone as wealthy and grandeur as Ronshaku-sama should be able to live carelessly with a poor person owing some money, right?"

"HAH?! Who the HELL do you think you are, little boy?! You like butting into other people's business a lot, don't you?! How dare you speak of Ronshaku-sama like that?!"

"I mean..." she shrugged, "with the businesses he conducts and the recognition he receives from the royal palace, he won't ever run out of money supply, is that not true? Or...are you saying that Ronshaku-sama is so narrow-minded that he can't even spare a few coins?"

"You-" before the servant could speak, Ronshaku placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at Ayano.

"Young man, you have a lot of nerve for constantly going against me and ruining my plans. What's your family name?" he narrowed his eyes at her suspectingly.

Ayano thinned her lips. This is why she didn't want to reach out to this situation. If it wasn't for this brainless kid next to her, she wouldn't have gotten into such trouble. Unfortunately, had she just left him to be targeted alone by these two rich monsters, he would probably hate her, and her Ayanari persona might gain a bad reputation.

At least...she would be on the commoners' good side like this.

"I'm just a wanderer, sir," she replied. "No parents, no family, no surname. I just like to help people."

"Help people, you say? Did you think I was giving this gentleman a hard time?"

"Absolutely not, sir. I just think your servant right here is delivering your message wrong and making you look bad. I'm doing this for your own good."

Ronshaku silently stared at her for a moment.

Amao bit his bottom lip and clenched his fists nervously.

Finally, after a pregnant silence, Ronshaku chuckled and stroke his beard, "Very well, 'wanderer', your 'bravery' amuses me enough, so I will let this old man go for now."

Haruka and the servant widened their eyes and gasped.

"B-but... My Lord!" the buck-tooth looked at his master with disbelief.

"Silence, my decision is final. We will come back next week."

The bearded man held his hands behind his back and began heading out with his servant following him unwillingly. Yet, just as he passed by Ayano, he twirled around and threw a fist at her face, sending her flying a few feet back.

"Ayanari-kun!!" Amao panicked and ran towards her. He crouched down and helped her sit up, worriedly gazing at her wounded cheek.

Ayano gritted her teeth and put her hand up to her face, glaring at the laughing bastards. She could've easily dodged or caught that, but that would expose her martial arts ability, bringing even more attention to her.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you..." Ronshaku warned and left at that.

Haruka quickly attended to Ayano with an apologetic look, "I am so sorry, young man, I didn't mean to drag you into this mess..."

Feeling a little lightheaded, she pursed her lips and rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm. "Don't worry about it, sir. It's those corrupted pigs. They made people suffer so much, yet they feel no guilt. Someone has to stand up against them."

Amao supported her back and helped her stand up, "This is all my fault... I shouldn't have stepped in. Then you wouldn't have been..."

"I said it's fine, Amao-kun," Ayano flashed him an assuring smile. "You were very brave to have called them out on their terrible doings." A trail of blood leaked out of the corner of her mouth on the side she was punched. Enduring the pain, she wiped off the blood with the back of her hand.

"You're not fine at all! You're bleeding! Come, let's get you to a doctor!"

"Amao-kun, really, I'm okay..."

What a fragile boy, she thought, freaking out over such a small wound. She thought that commoner boys would see much worse in their daily lives, especially for a chef like him.

The older man sighed as he glanced at his wrecked shop. Shelves were broken, trays were destroyed, and many pieces of jewelry shattered. It was an utter mess.

"Such a shame," he said, "I just stocked up some rare products that came from the west."

Amao furrowed his eyebrows, "These rich people are ruthless. They have no sympathy for us commoners at all. Worst part is, they are too powerful and untouchable for the law to punish..."

He then turned back to Ayano worriedly and cupped her face to check her now swollen cheek. His thumb ran across it, touching it gently, but she had no reaction.

"Does it hurt when I touch it?" he asked softly.

Ayano grabbed his hand and pulled it away, "It doesn't, Amao-kun. I'm a man." Being in such an intimate position with another male while dressed as one was...weird. Especially when she's a married woman dressed as a man.

He lowered his eyelids, filled with guilt, "You should've let me taken it..."

"..." Ayano sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'd never. Can't let such a pretty face be destroyed, you know?" She then placed a finger under his chin and lifted his head up. He widened his eyes, not expecting her to say that.

"Uh..." he uttered, a tint of pink appearing on his cheeks, "th-thanks?"

Ayano blinked and retracted her hand. Is this not how men interact?

Haruka chuckled, "Glad you two have such a close relationship. If I ever get this shop renovated, I will be sure to give you two a freebie to show my gratitude."

They chatted a little more before Ayano and Amao parted ways with the shopkeeper. On their way going back to the central area of the town, the sun started gradually going down, creating a golden glow in the sky. They didn't realize how much time passed from that messy incident.

Unfortunately, Ayano wasn't able to track down Osano's path. She didn't even catch a glimpse of him the whole day.

"Say, Ayanari-kun..." Amao suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm?"

They stopped in their track, away from the center of the road so they don't block anyone.

The young chef cleared his throat nervously, "Um...that story you told Ronshaku earlier...about your background...is it true?"

Ayano chuckled, "Why does it matter if it's true?"

"I-I mean no offense at all! I just think it's quite amazing if it is true. Being a traveler, having no ties to a place, no strong family name to support you. Come to think of it, you never told me your surname, too. When I asked for your name, you gave me your first name. So...I was just wondering. If it's not true, you're still very cool, of course! That's a clever story to come up with! And, well..." He grew quiet when he realized he was rambling.

The raven-haired girl crossed her arms and raised a brow, looking at him in silence. Then she laughed loudly, placing both hands on her hips.

"Hmm, ya never know," she winked. "Don't you think this little mysterious side makes me look extra cool?"

"Huh...?" Amao blinked. This wasn't what he expected.

Ayano yawned and stretched her arms out, then she turned around and began walking in that direction, "Welp, I'm tired! I'll see you again someday, Amao-kun!" She hummed under her breath, not waiting for the chestnut-haired boy's reply.

"Ah...see you..." he waved absent-mindedly.

This young man is like the wind, never giving a warning when he appears, never leaving a trace when he's gone. Amao chuckled to himself and headed down a different direction to his home.

 

 

-{}-

 

 

  
The sun hung in the middle of the horizon, bringing down a faint hint of purple and orange in the sky above.

A fragile, old man with a face full of the imprints of time and hair as pale as snow sat in his wooden wheelchair, gazed at the breathtaking sight from his balcony. That ball of fire, flames that give life, was slowly and steadily sinking down, aiming to hide behind the mountains far away.

His door was opened, followed by light footsteps coming to him.

"Father," the visitor greeted, "it's been a while."

The old man made no response.

From the side, another older male dressed in a higher-positioned eunuch's uniform approached the visitor and bowed respectfully, "Prime Minister, would you like some tea?"

Saikou waved his hand once, sending him off. He walked towards his father, Saisho Saikou, and looked in his sight's direction at the sunset.

He scoffed, "Still looking at this? Don't you ever get bored of the same sight over and over again?"

There was still no answer.

The prime minister scowled, then sighed and held his hands behind his back, standing tall and straight, "What about the sky interests you so much? You won't eat, you won't sleep, you won't talk, you won't even move from this balcony. All you do is gaze at the horizon all day."

Nothing.

"Time to move on, dear Father. You can't ignore my accomplishments forever. Although I'm just the prime minister, I have already gained control of the throne's mind. That useless Emperor listens to me, and all of his royal subjects look up to me for guidance. I am now the unofficial ruler of the country. The country that you helped to build. I did it despite all the doubts and discouraging comments I've burdened along the way. Isn't this what you wanted?"

Nothing.

"Your two grandchildren are all grown up, too. I have faith in Megamo. He's surpassing me in every way possible. At only age seventeen, he is now the Grand General of the army. He is much smarter and stronger than the other adults in the palace, and he is also far more mature than anyone I know. He's got that coldbloodedness in his eyes just like a true Saikou. He will definitely be my most powerful weapon. I am very sure he will be the future of this empire."

Nothing.

Saikou glanced at the old man from the side view and clenched his fists, "Why...why won't you say anything? Am I still not satisfying you? Have I not done enough? Or...are you perhaps still hanging on to the past?"

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

"..." the prime minister released his grip and took a deep breath. It's always the same. No matter what he does, he will be in the shadows, never properly looked at, never acknowledged. Always the inferior one.

Always.

He turned around and headed for the door. The eunuch from earlier ran to him with an apologetic look, "I am sorry, Saikou-sama... The grand master's age has taken a toll on him. He won't budge or utter a sound... Please excuse him for ignoring you."

Saikou's silver eyes glanced back at his father, "No worries. I will come back soon."

Leaving at that, he walked out of the secluded house. It fell quiet once again.

The old man never moved an inch, fixing his eyes on the glamorous sky.

The sun is almost setting.

 

 

-{}-

 

 

  
When Ayano snuck back into her residence, she immediately changed into a simpler robe and glanced at herself in the mirror. She quickly washed off her masculine makeup and redid her hair into her usual style with the Tsubaki hairpin put on. Her cheek was quite swollen and red. How would she explain this?

That's when Midori and Kumiko popped back in and were surprised to see her.

"Mistress! Where were you all day? You had me worried!" Midori complained.

"Your cheek..." Kumiko pointed out.

Midori gasped in horror when she saw Ayano's swollen cheek, "What happened?! Did someone hit you?!" She ran to her side and grabbed her chin to turn her head towards her, examining her face. "What did you do, Mistress? How did you get hurt?"

Ayano pushed her hand away and placed her own hand on her cheek, "It's fine, Midori. Would you please go get some ice?"

The emerald-haired girl nodded vigorously and dashed outside to the kitchen.

Kumiko furrowed her eyebrows, finally having a change in expression, "Mistress, did you sneak outside today?"

"I..." Ayano didn't answer.

"How many times have you snuck out since we lived here?"

"..."

"Mistress..." Kumiko sighed and shook her head. "Lady Aishi told us to protect you. How will we report to her if you're constantly getting into trouble?"

"Easy, just don't tell Mother."

"Mistress."

"Sorry, sorry, I apologize..." Ayano laughed sheepishly, "I just don't like staying here the entire day, Kuu. My husband won't see me, Hanakō-kun is busy... My whole life, I've been told to stay indoors because I am a 'lady'. I learned how to sew, play instruments, paint, read and write literature, but I never get to use those skills in front of other people. I don't even have friends..."

That gained a little bit of the blue-haired girl's pity. She thinned her lips and walked close to her, "Kuu does not want Mistress to feel lonely. Kuu knows how hard Mistress's life is, despite being a mere servant. That's why Kuu and Midori always cover Mistress up when you sneak out since a child. But...please understand, Mistress. Letting you go outside does not mean letting you get in trouble. You are born a master, a high-class lady, not a servant. Your body is precious and vulnerable, unlike our rough and lowly ones. So if you were hurt, it will be our fault for not taking care of you properly."

Ayano fell silent. If she never met her master as a kid, she wouldn't have had to sneak outside every now and then. But...if she never met her master, she would feel more empty and meaningless like before. Info-sama gave her a purpose in her life. She would never trade that for anything else.

She remembered being caught sneaking out once five years ago, and her father scolded her for almost two hours while her mother tried to calm him down the entire time. Kuu and Midori were punished by being spanked thirty times with thick, wooden boards because of her mistake. After that, she made sure to be extra careful when escaping her home.

"Sorry, Kuu..." Ayano made a guilty expression and drooped her head, "I won't do it again..."

Kumiko gazed at her for a moment before saying, "Kuu meant...next time Mistress wants to 'breathe some fresh air', please notify us, and do not get hurt."

Ayano lifted her head up again, taken aback. Then she melted into a pleased smile and nodded, "Got it, Kuu-sama!"

Such an adorable gesture cracked the tiniest smile on Kumiko's face.

Midori came back with a bowl of ice, and the two maids treated Ayano's swollen cheek the best they could for the next half an hour. The ice seemed to decrease the swelling a bit, but not enough to look normal. They resorted to applying more makeup powder to cover it up.

"Don't be so reckless again, Ayano-sama!" Midori angrily scolded.

"I won't, I won't. Forgive me?"

"...fine. But if this happens again, Midori will be very, very angry!"

"Okay, okay, it won't happen again."

It was time for dinner. Kumiko and Midori followed Ayano on the way to the family dining house. However, when they were almost, Ayano saw the person she's been searching for the entire day come out of their place. Osano Najimi, accompanied by a familiar girl with soft apricot hair and large eyes. It was that girl she saw Osano talking to a while back.

She pretended to not see them and started to walk in another direction, but she was quickly caught by his sharp eyes.

"Ayumi?" he widened his eyes.

Ayano stopped in her tracks, her maids doing the same. She whispered to them to stay in their spot and walked up to the merchant's son.

"Najimi-sama," she greeted and bowed politely.

Midori and Kumiko shared a questioning glance. Since when did their mistress become close with the son of the Najimi family?

Osano turned to the girl next to him, telling her to wait for them by the door, and looked back at Ayano. The girl was at first shocked, then she gathered her composure, bowing to Ayano, who bowed back, and went to the main gate.

"I haven't seen you all day," Osano crossed his arms as if complaining. "Where were you?" Before he could add on, his eyes landed on her poorly-disguised swollen cheek, and he furrowed his eyebrows. "What happened?! Did someone hit you?!" He grabbed her chin and turned her head to see her wound clearly.

"No, Ayumi was just clumsy and accidentally hit herself while helping people carry a heavy object," Ayano pulled her head away. If other servants see her being so intimate with their young master's best friend, she's done for.

Midori saw this and was about to run up to defend her mistress before Kumiko stopped her.

Osano became more demanding, "Be honest. Did some bastard hurt you? Tell me, and I will make sure he does not have a good time!"

"Really, Najimi-sama, Ayumi appreciates your meaning, but this was really just from an accident!" Ayano backed up more, acting scared of his outburst.

He noticed her move and stopped himself from further overreacting. "...if you say so. Where were you?"

"Nowhere, Najimi-sama," she replied. "Ayumi's been here the whole time."

"Let me guess, with the mistress?"

"That's right."

"You know, it's been almost a month since the 'wedding', and I haven't even had a glimpse of your mistress. Is she even real? Where does she hide all day? There's no way she can stay in her residence the entire time, right?" Osano suspected.

Taken aback by his suspicion, Ayano combatted with, "Oh? Is Najimi-sama this interested in his best friend's wife~?"

"I-" his cheeks immediately turned red. "Don't make this sound weird! I was just questioning!"

Too easy.

Ayano giggled, "It was just a joke, Young Master. Next time you visit, Ayumi will tell the mistress to come out and meet you."

"...it's not like I care that much..." he pouted childishly. "Besides, I'll be gone in two days..."

Pretending to be surprised, Ayano widened her eyes, "Eh? Where are you going, Najimi-sama?"

Osano groaned and facepalmed, "Some business trip. My father heard about a new trading site somewhere in the west. We're going there to negotiate an alliance with the traders there."

That sounded like a long trip... It'd create a lot of inconveniences for Ayano, now that one of her biggest sources of information on Tarō Yamada will be gone.

"Oh..." she feigned disappointment, "...when will you be coming back?"

The orange-haired young master didn't know why, but seeing her sad about him leaving made him feel...happy. He felt warmth traveling to his cheeks again. Why does this girl always have this effect on him?

"I'll be back in a month, maybe. I...I will make this quick," he replied as he tugged on his scarf.

The girl nodded and smiled, "Okay. Ayumi will be waiting for your return, Najimi-sama."

Ah...that weird feeling in his chest again... Osano's heart pounded so loudly that he could hear it. Any harder and it would jump out. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his heart, but her words felt so sincere to him, he couldn't stop smiling. What happened to that cold frontier that he built for so many years? Did it get destroyed so easily by her?

"Mm..." Osano nodded. "Ayumi..."

"Yes?"

"..." he opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, trying to find the right words. Nothing would come out. In the end, he took a deep breath and said, "You...y-you better wait for me!"

"...yes?" Ayano tilted her head and looked at him, confused.

"Y-you better!"

"Yes..."

"No backing down!"

"Yes, Najimi-sama..."

"P-promise!"

"Yes, Ayumi will..."

"Good!"

This nonsense went back and forth for a while, ending with Osano's face in a deeper shade of red than before. Without saying goodbye, he ran to the main gate to meet with the girl from earlier, leaving Ayano questioning his behavior.

Her cheerful, "good servant" look faded into her usual blank expression. Her hands dropped to her sides, putting down her façade. Ayano's not blind. She could see how nervous that boy gets when talking to her compared to their first interaction. The nervousness was not that of fear.

She could tell that he didn't see her as a normal servant or a close friend. There were at least some other feelings he's yet to figure out, but until he confirms it himself, she didn't want to make conclusions.

Though, she could probably use these feelings to her advantage. After all, she is a mere weapon of her master. And weapons don't have feelings.

"Mistress!" she heard Midori call.

Her maids caught up to her and watched the back of Osano Najimi before he disappeared from sight.

"Mistress, what was that?" Midori asked. "When did you become friends with Najimi-sama? And why did he run away like that?"

Ayano shook her head, "I met him a few days after we moved in. He said he forgot he had some business to attend to, so he ran."

"Oh..." Midori was still as easily convinced as ever.

Kumiko didn't speak. She replayed the scene where that boy grabbed Ayano's chin and ignored her personal space in her head. She has trust in her mistress, knowing for sure that she would never be impure with another male. But she can't be sure if that boy doesn't have thoughts...

"Let's go eat now," Ayano's voice broke Kumiko's thoughts.

The three girls proceeded to head to the dining room.

 

 

-{}-

 

 

  
Outside the gates of the Yamada Residence, Raibaru frowned while strolling next to her friend. Just now...what did she just witness? Osano being intimate with another girl? A maid? Were they friends? Did that maid seduce him? And why did that maid dress differently from the two standing behind her? Did she have a higher position? Did she use that to her advantage to get close to Osano?

More and more questions flooded in Raibaru's head until they reached the area where they separate.

"Guess this is where we split up," Osano said nonchalantly. "Bye."

"W-wait!" Raibaru called out and grabbed his arm. When he glanced at her questioningly, she asked, "Um...who was that girl?"

"Girl?" Osano blinked, then realized who she meant. "Oh...that was Ayumi, a maid at Tarō's place."

"I don't remember seeing that maid last time we came..."

"You only came with me once. Of course, you won't see all of their servants."

"Oh..." Not satisfied with that answer, she asked again, "Why were you two so close?"

"C-close?" he stiffened, pink rushing to his cheeks, "W-we aren't close! I mean we are, b-but not that close. I-I mean, she's just a servant that I happened to have a few conversations with, h-how close can we get?"

Raibaru pursed her lips, "Is that so...?" Maybe she's just overthinking. Osano won't like a mere servant...right? He hardly trusts anyone, how would he get close to a maid he barely met? He's just being nice, that's all...

That's what she repeatedly told herself on her way home.

That's what he told himself, too. But the more he repeated it, the less effective it was.

"Ayumi..." Osano muttered her name under his breath. He ran his fingers into his hair and crouched down on the sidewalk leading to his home.

The warm feeling in his chest never went away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this took so long, school sucks. political ties and conflicts are hard.  
> btw Kung Fu Panda illustrates the ancient Chinese architecture really well. watch it if you're confused why I call different places in the residence "houses"...because they literally are separated in different houses.

**Author's Note:**

> Quick question: I'm considering changing characters' names (at least the ones with joke names) into real names, such as YanDev's idea of Mai Waifu becoming Mai Wakabayashi. What do you think? Please let me know.
> 
> I might also add in new character designs (most likely not full body because I suck at that lol) in the future, so...look forward to those?


End file.
